Sun of Solace
by Soleneus
Summary: A freshly-banished Prince Zuko is called to a strange temple and inside, he finds a holocron containing the spirit of a strange Sith...and his ancestor. Set down a different path, Zuko sets out to change the world. But the Force never moves in just one way... T for now, probably bumping up to M soon.
1. The Inciting Incidents

"Why are we here, Uncle?" a boy asked, his voice hoarse and angry as he followed an older, rotund man up a steep, rocky hill, growling quietly as he stumbled on a loose stone he couldn't see, due to the thick white bandages wrapped around his head. "We must begin our search for the Avatar."

"You are not yet recovered, Prince Zuko," Uncle replied softly, watching with sad, weary eyes as the teenager nearly slipped. "Please, let me guide you-"

"I don't need your pity, Uncle!" The prince snapped, brushing passed the older man and his outstretched hand with barely a glance. He crested the hill, coarse grass waving in the wind, his visible eye scanning the area with a sneer on his lips. "You still haven't answered my question, Uncle. Why. Are we. Here?"

"Fresh air and exercise is good for the humors," Uncle answered, chuckling softly as he came to stand next to his nephew. "But that is not why I brought you here." His hand came up to point at a small stone temple, half covered in moss and partially crumbling. "That is why."

Zuko sighed deeply, reaching up to pinch his nose in frustration. "An ancient temple…" He grumbled, a golden eye examining the stone structure. "I suppose, since we're searching for an ancient Avatar, this _could_ be a good place to start…"

"Er, yes. That's a good point as well…Ah, that is to say!" Uncle shrugged, folding his hands into his sleeve as he sat on a low, flat rock. "Would you like to hear of how I found this place?"

The prince grunted, glancing at his uncle briefly. "You'll just tell me anyway, so why not?"

"That's the spirit," chuckled the older man, "Well, one day a few years ago, I felt the urge to take an afternoon hike, and I found this temple here."

Zuko looked at him flatly. "…And?" He growled.

"Oh, no," Uncle said cheerfully, "That's the story. Although…when I tried to enter, I found that the door was sealed tight. And though I cannot enter this temple, I still come to visit it when I desire time to reflect on my life and troubles."

"So this was waste of time," the prince scowled, spinning on his heel. "When you're done _reflecting,_ Uncle, I'll be on the ship, waiting on you-"

"Zuko," the older man spoke sharply, garnering his nephew's attention. "Ever since… _that_ day, every night I've dreamed about this temple, dreamed of bringing you here. I believe that you were meant to enter the temple, Zuko, to do what I could not."

The teenager resisted the urge to touch the bandages swathing his face, clenching his hand into a fist at his side instead. "Dreams won't restore my honor, Uncle," he hissed, a furious scowl twisting his lips. "The only temples I'm interested in are the Air Temples! Everything else is a distraction, and I _will_ not-!"

… _Come…_

The firebenders froze, slowly turning as one to face the crumbling temple. "Did you hear that, Zuko?" Uncle asked softly.

… _Come inside…_

"…Yes, I did," Zuko murmured, his skin paling drastically. "There are _spirits_ here, Uncle."

"Then it wouldn't do to make them angry by refusing their invitation, would it?" The older man offered, arching a grey eyebrow at the boy, his gaze level and serious.

The prince licked his lips nervously, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "No. It wouldn't," he muttered, a notable tremor in his voice. Breathing deeply, he marched up to the temple, ascending the three stone steps with nothing but the sound of his feet and the breeze to accompany him, his uncle's concerned gaze on his back. He reached out to open the door, but before his fingers even brushed the half-rotted surface, it swung open soundlessly, revealing nothing but pitch blackness beyond.

Steeling his nerves, Zuko stepped inside, the door closing silently to plunge him into darkness. Breathing slowly, he summoned a handful of flickering flames to light the way, descending down a set of short stone steps. Before him, the unadorned rock walls stretched out to encapsulate him in a smooth cube, a small stone plinth being the only thing in the entire temple.

Atop the plinth sat a metal cube, the surface covered in intricate, alien designs beyond the skill of any craftsman in the Fire Nation. The banished Prince flexed his fingers as the urge to touch the cube struck like lightning, unconsciously taking a step forward and reaching out to it.

The pads of his fingers shakily hovered before the metal cube, his breath coming in short gasps as tune, low and soundless echoed in his head. With nervous gulp, he leaned forward and brushed the surface, finding it to be oddly warm. Under his fingers, the cube began to glow.

Light, blue and white in equal measures, traced the complicated patterns until the glow drowned out the light from his flames. The light flowed through the cube, congregating at the top in a blinding flash that made Zuko stumble away with an arm thrown over his eyes.

Blinking away the bright spots clouding his vision, the prince felt his jaw fall open as he took in the sight before him.

Standing on the air above the cube…was his father. Clothed in dark robes, imperious golden eyes peered down at him, piercing through the veil of surprise and muted horror mixed with elation to drive Zuko to his knees. " _Do you know…"_ his father hissed through gritted teeth, " _How_ long _I have been waiting? Do you have_ any _idea how boring this is?!"_

Zuko's mouth worked soundlessly, trying to give voice to apologies he couldn't find the breath for. "I-I-I-!"

" _And NOW you come before me!"_ His father thundered, his voice shaking the stone walls. " _With the_ gall _to look upon me without bowing first! HOW DARE YOU?!"_ He snarled, towering over Zuko with a hand stretched out towards him. " _You will learn respect! And_ suffering _will be your teacher!"_

The Prince was no longer in the temple. He kneeled on a stone platform, the roar of the crowd ringing in his ears, the sun, once so comforting on his skin, felt like ice as he realized his opponent would not be the general he'd spoken out against…but his father. He remembered the tears as he pressed his head against the stone, yielding to the Fire Lord, feeling a small sense of hope as the footsteps came closer…and then, those words echoed in his head. _You will learn respect…and suffering will be your teacher…_

Then came the pain, not just from the burning fist pressed against his face, but from the realization that he would find no mercy from his father.

Zuko started as cool, insubstantial fingers brushed his cheek, finding himself back inside the dank stone temple, panting and sweating profusely. " _Kid? You alright?"_ He jumped again as he realized the fingers belonged to the father that had somehow come out of box. " _You know I was just joking, right? Just a little joke, no need to cower in fear."_

Up close, the prince realized that while the man in front of him resembled his father, they were not the same. The man had black hair and golden eyes, but his cheekbones were not quite as high or sharp, with lines at the corners of his mouth. Not to mention the fact that he was _glowing._ "Who…" Zuko began with a cough, "Who are you?"

" _Ah, that's the question, isn't it?"_ The strange glowing man said, a mischievous smirk on his lips. " _To put it bluntly…I am your ancestor. The very first of your line."_

"…How?" The prince rasped, disbelief clear in his tone.

" _Well, when a man and a woman love each other very much…Do I need to continue?"_ The man chuckled, folding his hands inside the sleeves of his robes. " _If you're asking how I'm here, specifically, well that's not something I'll tell you right now. I will simply tell you that I know for certain that you are one of my descendants. You wouldn't have been able to open the doors if you weren't."_

Zuko frowned but asked, "Then why am I here? And what are you?"

" _You are here because you were called, called by this,"_ the robed man replied, circling the younger man to pat the cube. " _As I had intended when I created it. To bring me the strongest of my line, so that I may judge them. As for what I am…once, I was a Jedi, then a Sith. Now, I am neither."_

"Those words mean nothing," the prince scowled.

The man chuckled deeply. " _I suppose not,"_ he murmured, standing in front of Zuko to peer into his eyes. " _I wonder, Prince Zuko, are you worthy? Worthy to wield a power beyond imagination?"_

Zuko's breath caught in his throat. "Wha-"

" _Shh,"_ the man said, hands reaching out to grab the younger man by the cheeks. " _I will judge you…open your mind to me, child…and try not to think of pink turtle-ducks."_

He immediately began to think of pink turtle-ducks as a cold, sharp presence slipped into his mind, all of his thoughts and memories laid before the man who called himself Zuko's ancestor. Visions flashed in his eyes; the hugs he shared with his mother as she read to him, the giggles he shared with his sister as they played in the sand, a proud pat on his head from his father as he showed off his calligraphy…then the loss when his mother disappeared, the hurt as his sister overtook him in everything, the shame as his father scowled at his weakness, the despair as he woke to find himself in his uncle's care.

Zuko gasped as the presence withdrew and he stumbled on legs like jelly. "Wha-what was that?" He breathed, blinking harshly as his eye watered.

" _Hmm,"_ the man hummed thoughtfully, stroking his beard as he gazed down at Zuko. " _Quite the exciting life you've led, eh? Well, you have problems, that's for certain."_

The young prince felt his cheeks burn as he looked away.

" _You are a raw material,"_ the man continued, " _Your impurities must be burned away, your metal tempered and your edge sharpened…but there is the potential for greatness within you."_

Zuko looked up, meeting the eyes of the glowing man. "There is?" He asked softly, vulnerability showing on his face.

" _Yes,"_ His ancestor nodded, a small smile curling his lips. " _I will teach you, Zuko. I will show you the ways of the Force, untainted by the Jedi or the Sith. Know that I will be your Master, and you…my Apprentice. Know my name…"_

" _I am Solace. Darth Solace. The Wise."_

…

 **Years Later, The North Pole…**

A figure, nearly invisible against the glacial walls in his light blue clothing, hit the ground softly, taking a moment to run his fingers through the grass. Pulling away the mask and hood covering his face, Zuko breathed in the warm air of the Spirit Oasis, wincing slightly as the cuts and bruises decorating his face stretched uncomfortably. Although the incongruity of a warm spring in the center of a glacier raised a few questions, the banished prince ignored them in favor of savoring the heat, having just been swimming in polar seawater not ten minutes before.

His eyes were drawn to the columns of smoke rising into the air as the largest Fire Nation Navy waited outside the Northern Water Tribe's home, staying their hand until the sun had risen and they were at their strongest. Zuko shook his head, emerging from the bushes to hear a Water Tribe girl with white hair ask another if the boy they were watching, his arrow tattoos glowing, needed extra protection from the invaders.

He chuckled to himself as the other girl, her brown hair held in a bun with two loops, shook her head and declare that she was enough to protect Aang. "That's an invitation if I've ever heard one," he said aloud, stepping into view before the two girls. "Who would I be to deny it?"

"Zuko," the girl muttered, her hand rising to the waterskin at her side. The white-haired girl dashed away, neither of the two benders watching as she left to get help. "Now really isn't the time for this. If you can't tell, there's an invasion going on."

"On the contrary, Katara," he rasped, a small smirk on his lips as he faced her down. "Now is the perfect time. Will your desperation be your strength…or your downfall? Let's find _out!"_ With a punch he sent a blast of fire at Katara, who uncapped her waterskin and bent a shield of ice in front of her in one smooth motion.

Through the steam of fire meeting ice, the waterbender lashed out with a water whip that cracked over his head, spinning out of the way of the follow-up trio of Ice Daggers that would've sunk into his shoulder. As he spun, Zuko jumped and kicked, releasing a scythe of flames at her shoulders, spinning as he hit the ground to send another at her feet. Katara's whip cut through both attacks, reaching out to wrap around his ankle and pull him into the air.

Zuko lashed out with his other foot, the flames slicing through the water as he flipped and landed in a crouch, his brows furrowing into a frown when he felt cold water soak into his gloves…and then he was encapsulated in a ball of ice. He huffed out a quiet chuckle as he shook his head, leaning against the curved wall as he pressed a hand to his side. "You've gotten stronger," he said aloud, his voice echoing around him. Looking up, he found a patch of ice that was clear enough to see through, meeting Katara's blue eyes. "You've come very far in these past months, Katara."

The waterbender frowned at him, crossing her arms as she peered through the ice. "Why do you keep doing that?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

He straightened up and barked, "I must capture the Avatar to regain my Honor…and my Throne!"

"No, not that," Katara waved it away, pointing at the ground. " _This_ , this thing you do where you constantly chase us all over the world, then when we actually fight you keep complimenting me!" The waterbender tugged on a hair-loopy in frustration. "I just…I don't understand you, Zuko, at all. Are you trying to catch Aang, or are you trying to be our friend?"

Zuko hummed and shrugged. "It's complicated," he answered simply, dropping to his knees and sighing. "Believe me, I'd rather keep it simple, but…there's nothing I can do right now. Someday, I'll tell you. Until then, you're just gonna have to keep getting stronger."

Katara grunted, sitting in front of the orb of ice with a scowl. "I'm strong enough to capture _you_ this time," she grumbled, eyeing him curiously. "Are…are you alright?"

The banished prince sucked his teeth. "Not really, no. My ship blew up while I was on it, and I still haven't recovered yet." He sighed again, a hand coming up to rub his side. "…I loved that ship…"

"What?! Why?!" The waterbender gasped.

"Well, when you live on a ship long enough, it starts to feel like home," he shrugged, rolling his shoulder. "At first I hated it because it was cramped-"

"No, I mean why did it explode?!" Katara asked incredulously.

"Oh," Zuko smiled wryly. "I'm pretty sure Zhao tried to have me killed. He's had it out for me ever since our Agni Kai."

"…That's stupid," she grouched, crossing her arms again. "Though…I'm kinda glad you're alright…"

"I appreciate that," he said softly, breathing deeply as the chill of the ice began to pervade his body. "So, I assume you've found a Waterbending Master here? Possibly even Master Pakku?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Katara asked suspiciously.

He shrugged. "All old people know each other," he said simply, "Having a Master has definitely been good for you. It's almost hard to believe that it was only months ago you froze your brother to the deck of my ship."

The waterbender laughed sheepishly "Yeah…and now here I am, catching you," she murmured, her gaze sharpening on the banished prince. "How is it…that you've chased us across the oceans, but I can't…I can't bring myself to hate you, Zuko? I-I want to help you, somehow, but I can't because you're _the_ _enemy_ …Why does it have to be like this?"

Zuko gave her a nonplussed look, shaking his head and chuckling. "And there's your biggest strength and weakness Katara; your empathy and willingness to help others, even if it causes problems for you. I have to admit, I admire that about you."

Katara flushed, pouting as she crossed her arms. "Stop trying to distract me with compliments, you didn't answer my question!"

"And I still can't tell you," he replied dryly, "Someday, hopefully soon, I'll be able to. I just hope that, when that day comes, we can still try to be friends."

She huffed, turning away to watch the still Avatar. "Maybe if you stopped being so frustrating and mysterious…"

"And what, lose all my charm?" He asked with a smile, settling in the ice cage with a quiet sigh. "There's only so far scars can take me."

The two opposing benders fell into an oddly companionable silence, each lost in their thoughts as the moon began to dip and the sky lightened. Katara began to wiggle her ankle restlessly, her eyes flicking between Aang and the columns of smoke rising into the sky. "Come on, Aang, what's taking so long?" She muttered, pausing to look at the wooden bridge leading from the Spirit Oasis. "And where's Yue? She went for help like, twenty minutes ago…"

Zuko sighed in relief as the first rays of sunlight filtered through the ice cage, filling him renewed energy. "Katara," he began softly, drawing her attention, "You defeated me with two distinct advantages: I am still injured, and the moon was both up and full. Tell me, can you do it again…"

"…With only _one_?"

That was her only warning before the orb of ice exploded, sending her staggering back as she uncapped her waterskin and brought a shield up in front of her. A burning line crashed down on her from the sky, making her grit her teeth from the heat and back up further. Growling, she drew on the water around the grass-bearing island, bringing it up over her head and throwing it forward in one crushing, continuous stream directed at the firebender.

A swirling vortex of fire erupted in front of her, clashing against the water with a loud hiss. Katara's bending faltered slightly as she saw the multitude of colors in the fire, ranging from a deep blue that matched her eyes, to pink and green and gold, all dancing together in an enthralling, awe-inspiring dance. "It's…beautiful," she murmured, trying to refocus when Zuko burst from within, her stream piercing the fiery vortex as he leaped out of the way, a whip burning to life in his hand.

With a flick of his wrist, the whip snapped against her hands, drawing a yelp of pain as she drew back, the water losing cohesion to splash on the ground. Gathering the whip into the palm of his hand, the banished prince threw it at Katara's feet, her desperate attempt to gather a shield in front of her failing as it exploded, hurling her back into a wooden bridge support. The waterbender felt the back of her head slamming against the wood with a crack, her eyes rolling up as she collapsed to her knees.

The last thing she felt was a pair of strong arms wrapping around her, then the tickle of grass on her skin. "I guess not," she barely heard Zuko mutter, her consciousness fading fast. "Remember, Katara; Waterbenders rise with the Moon…Firebenders rise with the _Sun_."

…

Zuko made sure that Katara was as comfortable as possible on the grass before he rose and walked over to the still Aang. With a gentle poke from his boot, the young Avatar tipped over onto the grass with barely a sound. "Still gone. What a great help you've been during the invasion, Avatar," he muttered, pulling the rope he wore like a sash off, tying the unconscious boy up and hefting him onto his shoulder. "At least you won't struggle."

Glancing down, he found the white and black koi fish still endlessly circling each other, uncaring of anything happening around them. "Sorry for the violence, for what that's worth," Zuko said quietly, sniffing as he pulled his mask and hood up, making sure Aang was secure before he began to scale the glacier wall. "If Aang was an Earthbender, this would be so much harder."

He huffed as he climbed to the top, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he set out across the top of the glacier, the snow crunching loudly under his boots, the wind howling as the sky darkened. "And now there's a blizzard incoming. Great. Just perfect." A deep, echoing creak rang throughout the air, the solid ice shifting under his feet.

A warning trilled in his head and Zuko jumped just as the surface collapsed, dropping into an expanding abyss. Dashing across the ice, the firebender skipped over cracks before they appeared, shifting position before the ground gave away, moving faster than any non-airbender had any right to as he ran from the collapse. Eventually, the shuddering and creaking stopped, leaving a panting Zuko at the edge of an icy chasm with the unconscious Avatar still slung over his shoulder.

Peering around, he saw the opening of a cave nearby and stomped towards, muttering under his breath. "Stupid invasion, stupid ice, stupid Avatar, stupid me for carrying him…" He sighed as he ducked inside, the driving wind fading as he moved deeper. "Stupid cold."

Setting the Avatar down, he withdrew emergency fuel from his pouch and piled it in a wide section of the cave, lighting it with a quick breath. As heat filled the space, Zuko pulled his mask and hood down, wiping the sweat from his face with his sleeve. Reaching up, he broke an icicle off in his hand, cradling it in his palms as he carefully melted it and drank. "Stupid Zhao, blowing up my ship…and my tea set…and my Pai Sho set…and my horn!" he growled under his breath, biting into a length of tough jerky, "What I wouldn't give for some jasmine tea right now…"

Chasing the jerky with a few more handfuls of water, the banished prince sighed as he knelt in the cave, watching the rhythmic rise and fall of Aang's chest as he slept. "Looks like we're gonna be here awhile, Avatar," he groaned, rubbing his side. "I'm going to meditate, saying nothing if you're fine with that."

There was silence except for the howling wind. "Thought so."

Closing his eyes, Zuko sank into the Force, his cold, injured body fading away, relaxing as the force that penetrates and binds everything together flowed through. In the distance, a beacon of warmth and love pulsed gently in acknowledgement and Zuko felt the presence reach out and touch him gently, wordless worry reaching his mind. _I'm fine,_ he sent back, his fingers twitching as he felt a smooth, feminine hand touch his. _One day, I'll come find you, I promise. But not yet._

He felt ressurance and a touch of humor before they fell 'silent,' simply enjoying the other's presence in the Force. Aware of the time passing but not the amount, the presence eventually pulsed sadly and with the brushing of ethereal lips against his cheek, vanished. Zuko sighed and ended his meditation just as Aang inhaled sharply, his large grey eyes snapping open. "You've good timing, if nothing else," the banished prince said aloud.

"Uh, hey…Zuko," the Avatar greeted awkwardly. "Been awhile."

They stared at each other for a few silent seconds. Then Aang bent the air around him, firing himself out of the cave like a missile while also slamming Zuko against the wall. Recovering quickly, the firebender dashed out of the cave and into the snow, quickly catching up to the still-bound Avatar.

"What was the next step in your master plan, Avatar?" he asked with a frown, watching the smaller boy wriggle about in the snow like a beached fish. A bass call echoed around them as a large, six-legged animal covered in shaggy white fur landed in front of them, Katara, her brother Sokka and Yue leaping down from the saddle to face him. "You don't get credit for that."

"You didn't get far," the waterbender noted, uncapping her waterskin.

"Blizzard," Zuko replied with a shrug, taking up his stance. "How's your head?"

"Still a little sore," she answered tartly, her eyes narrowing on him. "Thanks for putting me on the grass."

"I didn't want to leave you in the dirt," he said, rolling his shoulders. "So, ready for a-" His eyes widened as his head snapped in the direction of the Spirit Oasis as the Force rang in his head. "Shit!"

A pillar of snow slammed into his chest, carrying up into the air before dissipating, leaving him to drop onto the ice with a loud thud. Clutching his further-injured ribs, Zuko gasped soundlessly for breath that would not come, his golden eyes bulging as he writhed on the snow. He felt a pair of hands rolling him onto his back, looking up to meet a pair of alarmed blue eyes. With a disturbing wheeze he inhaled roughly, coughing up flecks of blood.

"Nice…shot…" he gasped before going limp. His hand, hidden by the other, glowed subtly and his breathing eased, but he did not wake.

"Help me get him into the saddle!" Katara barked, grabbing one of Zuko's arms and slowly pulling him up. Sokka joined her on the other side as Aang slipped out of the ropes, the siblings hauling the unconscious prince into Appa's saddle with a little difficulty.

"You really knocked the Bending out of him," Sokka commented, tying Zuko up with his own rope. "Hey, this is some quality rope."

"Yip-yip!" Aang called, cracking the reins as Appa took to the sky, heading back towards the Spirit Oasis. "Sorry for the wait, guys! You'll never believe what I had to do to find out where the Ocean and Moon Spirits are! And guess what, the koi in the Oasis? Those _are_ the Spirits!"

"What?" Katara gasped, her eyes going wide. "That means…"

"…We left them completely unguarded," Yue finished, paling drastically. "Oh no."

Zuko groaned quietly, but remained unconscious. "Aang, we got hurry!" Sokka called, "Who knows what might…happen…"

He trailed off as the moon pulsed weakly, a film of sickening red rising to cover it, casting the snow in shades of blood. "The Moon," Yue murmured faintly, pressing a hand to her chest. "I…I feel…"

"Me too," the Avatar said worriedly, biting his lips as he cracked the reins. "C'mon, buddy, we gotta hurry!"

"Yue…" Sokka reached out for the Water Tribe Princess, grasping her shoulder gently. "Are you alright?"

"When I was born," she began softly, taking a strand of her pure white hair in her hand, "I was silent. My parents feared that I would die, so they took me to the Spirit Oasis and beseeched the Spirits to save me. And when they dipped me in the water, my hair turned white and I began to cry. The Moon Spirit, Tui, saved my life…and that's why I was named 'Yue."' She turned to Sokka clutching his hand tightly. "We, Tui and I, we're connected. We can't let it die!"

"We won't," the Water Tribe warrior said firmly, determination written on his features.

Zuko stirred silently.

As the sky-bison flew over the glacier and into the Spirit Oasis, they heard a voice, triumphant and more than a little insane, echo out. "-They'll call me 'Zhao The Spirit-Slayer!' 'Zhao the Invincible!' 'Zhao the Conqueror!'" They saw him standing above the Oasis, holding a wriggling bag aloft with wide grin on his face.

"Stop, please!" Aang cried, leaping down to face the Firebender and his retinue. "You don't know what will happen! Everyone will suffer, not just the Water Tribe! You can't do this!"

"Oh?" Zhao asked mockingly. "And what-"

"He's right, Zhao," Uncle said roughly, appearing amidst the firebenders with a hand leveled to the Admiral's back.

Admiral Zhao growled. "Somehow, your betrayal doesn't surprise me, Iroh."

Iroh remained stoic. "Put the Spirit back, or all will suffer for your hubris. Whatever you do to that Spirit, Zhao, I will unleash upon you ten-fold! Put. It. Back!"

The mutton-chopped firebender gritted his teeth painfully, his arms shaking as he slowly tipped the bag, the white koi fish sliding out into the water as the moon regained its white luster.

His fist became wreathed in flame as he suddenly drew it back, striking out with a roar at the innocent Spirit below…

…When he went still. Zhao shook in place, the flames guttering out as his eyes went wide. Standing across from him, his hand held out, stood Zuko, his golden eyes narrowed in a fierce scowl. "W-what? What is this?!" he hissed through clenched teeth.

"You always were a sore loser, Zhao," Zuko growled, a subsonic whirr ringing out as he held the Admiral in place with the Force. "But this is a new low, even for you."

Iroh lashed out with plumes of fire, taking down the group of four elite firebenders in less than three seconds. "Nephew," he greeted with a calm smile. "Your sense of timing is impeccable."

"You know me, Uncle," the banished prince smiled, a bead of sweat sliding down his cheek.

Uncle frowned as he took in the hunched posture and bleeding cuts decorating his nephew's face. "You reopened your wounds," he shook a finger at the younger man, looking all for the world like a disapproving parent. "I told you to take it easy, Zuko!"

Zuko shrugged, wincing painfully. "You know me, Uncle."

"Traitors, both of you!" Zhao howled, straining against the force holding him in place. "I'll see you dead for this!"

"Can someone bind him?" the banished prince wheezed, "I can't hold him much longer."

Quickly, Katara froze the spitting firebender in a pillar of ice, leaving only his mouth uncovered. "How did you that?" She asked, her eyes on Zuko as he panted, clutching his ribs.

"It's called 'The Force,'" Zuko replied painfully, squinting an eye shut. "I'll tell you more when I can…actually breathe…"

"Will the Fire Nation retreat, now that we've captured Zhao?" Aang asked Iroh as the old firebender bustled over to his nephew, but he was answered by the Admiral.

"No!" he shouted, straining futilely against the ice, "Unlike those traitors, they'll fight! They'll fight until you savages are wiped from the world!"

The Avatar shook his head sadly. "That's what I was afraid of," he murmured, falling to his knees by the Spirit Oasis, where the Ocean and Moon Spirits once again circled each other. "Tui, La, please hear me: We need your help to stop the Fire Nation from destroying your home! Please, help me end the fighting!"

Silence fell as the koi fish ceased their circling to look up at Aang, their wet eyes glistening in the moonlight. Then, Aang's arrow tattoos began to glow and he stood, descending into the Oasis without a word, the light fading into the water. Above them, the moon shone like a second silver sun, empowering the Waterbenders even as a giant humanoid koi formed of luminescent water erupted out of the city's canals.

Assisted by the merged from of Aang and La and the shining moon, the Northern Water Tribe swept the invading Fire Nation back out to sea, the Ocean Spirit summoning a titanic wave that crashed into the amassed Navy, sending them out across the horizon.

The Invasion was over. The Water Tribe had won.

" _NOOOOO!"_ Zhao screamed, watching helplessly as his grand ambition crumbled before his eyes. " _Damn you! Agni damn you all!"_

Iroh sighed, his arm supporting Zuko. "I must confess, Nephew, that I feel we haven't paid the good Admiral back for his attempt on your life," he said lowly, meeting the banished prince's eyes. "I believe it is finally time to lay all our tiles on the table."

Zuko nodded slowly, reaching down to draw an exquisitely-made knife from his boot. "Yes, Uncle," he replied quietly. "I believe so." With shaking hands, he reached up and gripped the phoenix tail on his head; and in one smooth motion, cut his hair.

Handing the knife to his Uncle, the older firebender did the same to his grey topknot. Together, they raised the bundled hair and dropped them in front of Zhao, the Admiral's eyes nearly bulging out of his head. "…You know, I always thought the hair looked kinda stupid," Sokka cut in, ending the gravitas of the moment like it had never existed, "but does someone want to explain what that means?"

"It-it means," Zhao choked, before bursting out into peals of high-pitched laughter, "t-they've cut all ties to the Fire Nation! What-whatever protection they had is worthless, now! They'll be killed on sight!"

All eyes turned to former Fire Nation Royalty. "It would've been a lesser insult to spit in the Fire Lord's face," he shrugged, a sardonic smile tugging at his lips. "Though much more lethal."

"You'll be hunted across every corner of the world!" The Admiral howled with laughter, "The Fire Nation won't stop until you're brought before the Fire Lord…and _he sears the FLESH FROM YOUR BONES!"_

As Zhao laughed, Katara approached the firebenders, her blue eyes wide. "…Zuko…why? Not that I'm not relieved," she added quickly, "But why do this?"

The former prince shook his head, looking rather odd without his trademark phoenix tail. "There are only so many terrible things you can party to, before you realize that you can't do it any longer," he said softly, "The Fire Nation cannot remain this way. It needs to be brought back into balance with the rest of the world."

Conversation halted as glowing hand emerged from the Spirit Oasis, crushing through the ice to grasp Zhao tightly. He screamed as it began to drag him towards the water, scrabbling at the grass but finding no purchase there. "For all you've done, and all you've tried, Zhao," Iroh intoned solemnly, watching the scene with hard eyes. "The Spirits take you."

The Admiral loosed one last, echoing scream before he vanished into the water, never to be seen again.

A second later, Aang stepped out of the Oasis, his tattoos losing their glow before he flopped to the ground, snoring loudly. Zuko snorted. "I don't know whether to be horrified or amused," he said aloud, stiffening as a squad Tribesmen charged into the Oasis and leveled their spears at the firebenders.

"On your knees, now!" the Chieftain, Arnook, barked as he stood in front of Yue.

"Take it easy on an old man and his injured nephew, please," Iroh said softly, the two of them dropping to their knees and putting their hands on their head. The tribesmen stepped forward and bound their hands tightly, pushing them to ground.

"Wait, father please!" Yue cried, running around the chief to stand protectively in front of the firebenders. "They helped us! They saved the Moon Spirit, you can't treat them this way!"

Arnook gazed at his daughter, stumbling slightly as he shakily reached out to touch her shoulders. "Truly?" he murmured, looking to Katara and Sokka.

"Yes," the waterbender replied firmly, stepping up to Yue's side. "If they hadn't been here, Zhao would've killed Tui. We _owe_ them." Sokka nodded as he joined them, presenting a united front.

"Well," the Chieftain hummed, gazing down at the bound benders. "Take them prisoner," he raised a hand to cut off the teens' protests, "And treat them well. If what my daughter is saying is correct, we owe them a debt that can never be repaid…but they are still Fire Nation, and the invasion only just ended."

"We understand, Chief Arnook," Iroh spoke up, his voice slightly muffled. "And we are grateful for your mercy."

"My ribs aren't," Zuko grunted, blood spattering the ground as he coughed. "That's not good."

Arnook signalled the tribesmen to carry the firebenders away, separate from the four Iroh had knocked out. "Katara, follow them and make sure the young one doesn't die," he ordered, wrapping a strong arm around Yue. "Sokka, come with me and bring the Avatar. We must count the dead."

…

 **Two Days Later…**

It was group of mixed feelings who walked down the halls of the Water Tribe's icy prison. On one hand, many had died in the defense of their home, but less than expected.

On the other hand, one of the dead was Hahn, Yue's husband-to-be.

The elation of victory was tempered with the death rituals of the fallen, sending their souls to the Spirit World where they could be at peace. Aang himself was dealing with guilt of his own, his nights wracked with nightmares of the time he'd spend merged with La, when they'd slaughtered hundreds, possibly thousands of Fire Nation men and women. For a pacifistic Airbender, there could be no greater crime.

But as the Avatar, it had been his duty.

Aang patted the chattering winged-lemur on his shoulder as he walked, Katara slightly behind him with Sokka and Yue, the two now holding hands and smiling. Rounding a corner, they heard laughter emit from the firebender's cell. Inside, they found Zuko and Iroh relaxing around a low table, plates of food and pots of tea weighing it down, comfortable furs lining the floors and walls.

"Come in, come in!" Iroh called genially, a friendly smile wrinkling his face. "Please, join us for lunch. I insist."

"This place is nicer than where we're staying," Sokka whispered to himself, his eyes falling on the spread before him. He made to dash for the table but stopped, offering his arm to Yue. "M'lady."

The princess giggled gently as she took a seat at the table next to the warrior, with Aang and Katara joining them. "How're your ribs, Zuko?" Katara asked gently, resisting the urge to go over and check on him.

"I'm in top condition, thanks to you," he replied with a toast of his tea cup. "I appreciate the healing."

The waterbender shrugged, blushing slightly. "Considering I'm the one who put you in that condition, it was the least I could do," she said, busying herself by filling a plate.

Quiet, comfortable conversation filled the air for a few warm moments before Iroh spoke up, his features sorrowful. "Princess Yue," he said solemnly. "I heard that your intended was among the casualties during the invasion. You have my deepest apologies for your loss."

Yue nodded quietly, trying and failing to hide a smile. "I thank you for your apology, General Iroh."

"Yes," Sokka chimed in stiffly, an odd look on his face "It _is_ sad. _Very_ sad."

As Aang turned a pout on them, Zuko and Iroh sent Katara confused looks. "We didn't like Hahn," she whispered behind her hand, "He kinda stepped in-between Yue and Sokka after they fell in love, it was an arranged marriage." She stiffened as the Avatar turned his offended face on her. "Ahem, I mean, oh yes, it is very sad. We are all lesser for his passing."

"Yes, lesser," the princess added, biting her lip.

"…Alright," the firebenders said at the same time, deciding to ignore that strangeness. "I assume you're here with questions?" Zuko asked, sipping from his cup of tea.

"Yeah!" Aang perked up, Momo chattering noisily as he was dislodged from his perch. "I have a lot of questions; like what was that thing you did, was it Airbending?! And why did you cut your hair? Not that I think it looks bad or anything, I was wondering-"

Iroh cut in politely. "Yes, well, that is partially why I asked for such a spread," he said, waving his arm at the table. "That, and Water Tribe food is delicious." Sokka gave an agreeing hum, slightly muffled by the food stuffing his cheeks. "Really, it is Zuko's story to tell."

"Thanks, Uncle," the former prince muttered, sitting up in his low chair. "It all began a week after I'd been banished; Uncle brought me to a tiny, ancient stone temple in the hills of-"

"How'd you get banished?" Katara interrupted, flushing at the looks everyone turned on her. "Sorry, I just…as long as we've known you, we've always heard of you as 'The Banished Prince,' but no one ever said what you were banished for. I just…wanted to know."

Zuko hummed stoically, Iroh's face tightening as his knuckles went white around his tea cup. "It's not a pleasant story," he warned, leveling a serious gaze at them. "I was thirteen, and I'd just been invited to sit in on a strategy meeting for the ongoing war in the Earth Kingdom. I was so proud to finally be included…"

He sighed, sipping his tea. "The General in charge had a strategy in mind for dealing with a particularly capable Earth Kingdom army, what they'd call 'feeding the turtle-duck chicks to the badgermoles to open them to the komodo-rhinos.'" Upon seeing their confused looks, Zuko explained. "They wanted to send fresh recruits barely out of training against a powerful enemy, so the veteran forces could circle around for a pincer attack. While it might've succeeded, the recruits would be slaughtered to a man."

Aang gaped at the firebenders, his expression aghast. "That…that's horrible!" he gasped, his eyes wide.

"Indeed," the former prince murmured, "That's why I spoke up against it. But in doing so, I'd spoken out of turn and disrespected the General. And for my crime, I was to duel the offended party in an Agni Kai, only…I thought I had disrespected the General, but as he serves the Fire Lord, and the meeting was in his throne room, I had disrespected _him._ "

He looked up, meeting the horrified gazes of the people at the table, his Uncle staring into his steaming cup of tea with a deep frown. "…You dueled your father?" Sokka asked faintly, trying to imagine doing such a thing with his own father.

"Ha!" Zuko barked out a bitter laugh, startling them. "Duel my father…no. As soon as I saw who I would be facing, I fell to my knees and yielded. I begged for forgiveness…'I am your loyal son,' I said, pleading with him to forgive the slight. And for a moment, I thought he would."

Unconsciously, he reached up and brushed a finger against his scar, the puckered pink flesh rough against his skin. "Then he said my yielding had dishonored him even further, a worse disrespect. 'You will learn respect,' he said, 'and suffering will be your teacher.' That's when he gave me this," he muttered, tapping his scar.

Iroh's tea roiled angrily, splashing boiling water onto the table with a hiss. "Excuse me," he whispered roughly, folding his hands into his sleeves and deliberately not meeting anyone's eyes. Around the table, there was but silence as the story sank in.

"S-so," Sokka began, the princess at his side clasping her hands over mouth as sympathetic tears rolled down her cheeks. "You wanted to save lives, and for that…your father scarred you and banished you…"

"That's a decent summary, yes," Zuko nodded, popping a small cookie into his mouth. "Except that the return condition of my banishment was finding and capturing the Avatar, something both my great-grandfather and my grandfather after failed to do." He looked up, his brow furrowing at the sorrow on their faces. "What are you crying about? This was three, almost four years ago. I like to think I've become a better person since then." Another cookie crunched in his teeth. "These are really good."

Katara scrubbed her face with her arm, sniffing quietly. "Before I interrupted, you were saying…?" She asked, desperately wishing she hadn't brought the subject of his banishment up.

"Right, a week after my banishment, Uncle took me to a small stone temple that he'd never been able to enter. I was called inside by a voice, and within I found a cube of metal, the artistry too fine for anything the Fire Nation could create currently. When I touched it, it lit up and out of the cube came a man, the spirit of a man." He paused to take a gulp of his tea and refill his cup. "That man was my ancestor, the very first of our line who lived before the Fire Nation was called such. He had kept the temple sealed until one who was worthy, in this case me, would come and be judged, to see if they could wield 'True Power.'"

"And that's this 'force' thing you said during the invasion?" Yue asked, shifting a bowl of soup on the table in front of her.

Zuko nodded. "Yeah, The Force. He told me that the Force is an energy field that penetrates us, binds us all together, the very threads that make our world what it is. There are some people, like me and Uncle, who can exert our will on the Force, to make it do what we ask. In doing so, it gives us abilities beyond anything known, or at least before he learned of Bending."

"Zuko," Aang started, looking between his traveling companions, "That…sounds kinda…"

"Fantastical," Sokka finished politely.

"Then how did I hold Zhao in place a few days ago?" He offered, arching a thin eyebrow at them.

"Airbending!" The Avatar chirped, his eyes going starry as he looked hopefully at Zuko.

Zuko laughed dryly, holding his hand up and summoning a tongue of flame. "I'm a firebender, Aang; and since you're here, that means I'm not the Avatar. Do you want more tea, Katara?"

Blinking at the sudden shift, the waterbender nodded. "Uh, sure," she said slowly, only to gasp as the teapot rose from table and hovered over in front of her, slowly pouring a cup of steaming tea for her.

The former prince twitched his fingers, the pot moving smoothly through the air back to its' place. "Moving things with the mind, that's one of the abilities," he said simply, giving them a flat look. "Another is the ability to sense or see emotions, or to cloud the minds of the weak-willed. _Or to project the voice into the ears of others,"_ he added, his mouth closing as the words echoed in their heads. "Let me show you something."

Zuko held his hand out flat, bringing another flame forth that coalesced together in the shape of a man. Though he was made of fire, they could see that he wore a robe and a hood. "That's your ancestor?" Sokka asked curiously, leaning over the table to peer at the figure perched in his palm.

"His name was Darth Solace the Wise," he told them, closing his eyes. "He can tell you more."

"Zuko, that's a little fire man," Katara pointed out carefully. "He's not an actual person."

"I know, I'm trying to project my memory of his lesson into your minds, please be quiet," Zuko muttered, a bead of sweat sliding down his brow. "It's harder than I thought it'd be."

" _Listen to me, Zuko,"_ a voice sounded in their heads, making them jump in surprise, partially because of how nice it sounded. It was the vocal equivalent of warm honey mixed with smooth, dark chocolate that made them all feel slightly embarrassed for some reason. " _Some say the Force can only be used for a few things. The Jedi say you must use it responsibly and only in defense, to push enemies away or end violence with a Mind-Trick. The Sith say it is a toy to serve your whims, whether that is to choke an insolent slave or electrocute an underling. But_ I _know the truth. The Force…_ is. _It can be a tool or a toy, an instrument of death or the hand of healing, but it_ is _. Allowing it to be defined by restrictions is how the Sith and the Jedi are stuck in their ways, believing that their way is the_ only _way."_

" _And what do you believe?" A younger Zuko's voice asked, sounding quite bit less raspy than the present one._

" _I just told you, kid," the man replied incredulously. "It_ is. _I've used it for everything, from pulling the feet out from under a stiff, self-righteous Master to choking the life out of an assassin. I've used it to take lives, and to save lives…and even reheat my soup, a few times. To get me a glass of water or a book when I've just settled into a really comfy chair. It is only when you say, 'I can't use the Force to do that,' that is when you restrict yourself. Never do that, Zuko. Or Imma haunt you."_

The voice faded and the others looked to the firebender incredulously. "Those names he said, Jedi and Sith," Sokka started, tapping his chin, "What were they? Also, that was totally weird."

"They were sects of other Force-users who lived out beyond the stars," Zuko replied, waving a hand at the window in their cell. "He said the Jedi were self-righteous…droids, which are like, moving statues, I think, and that the Sith were rage-fueled maniacs. Even if they're still around, they can't come here, it's far beyond their reach."

"That's amazing…" Katara murmured, "People who live in the stars…it's also kinda terrifying."

The former prince hummed agreeably and continued. "While I was learning under Solace, at first I was obsessed with completing my mission, using the Force to track the Avatar down and capture him, to regain my honor and my throne…" He paused, looking faintly disgusted with himself.

"What changed?" Aang asked carefully. "Because you've been trying to capture me for months now."

Zuko sighed. "Solace took my mind back to that day, to the Agni Kai, and showed me what the Fire Lord was feeling at the time. And what I found…" He shook his head. "My Father hadn't been angry at my disrespect, he'd been waiting for it. He _wanted_ me to give him an excuse to demand an Agni Kai…so that he could kill me legally. But when I yielded immediately, he couldn't do that, either. So he scarred and banished me on a hopeless errand, hoping my desperation to return would either end with me dying in shame, or breaking the banishment and allowing him to kill me with no dishonor."

Iroh sighed loudly, emptying his tea cup and pouring another. "My brother has fallen so low, I cannot believe that we are related," he murmured sorrowfully, "I can only hope that we, as his family, can atone for what he has done."

There was a moment of contemplative silence before Katara broke it. "If you stopped wanting to chase Aang to revoke your banishment…then why have you been chasing Aang?" She asked confusedly. "What was the point?"

"Ah," the older firebender said as Zuko clicked his tongue. "I am afraid, my friends, that we have been deceiving you from the beginning."

The others stiffened in alarm, wondering if they'd made a huge mistake in getting close to the two firebenders. "How so?" Aang asked cautiously.

 _A shirtless Zuko knelt on the deck of his ship, a pair of candles in front of him with flames that rose and fell with every breath. His mind was cast deep into the Force, following the eddies and tides as he gently searched for the Avatar. He gasped sharply as a vision of white flashed in his head, a large orb of ice rising out of the water, a blue beam of light lancing the sky, a village of tents and igloos on an ice shelf._

 _Drawing himself out, the banished prince rose with a smile on his face, turning to his Uncle sitting at a Pai Sho table with a cup of tea. "Uncle, I've found him!" He enthused, nearly skipping over to the table with excitement. "I know where the Avatar is!"_

" _That is wonderful news, Nephew!" Iroh returned with a beatific smile. "Where has he been hiding this entire time?"_

" _The South Pole," Zuko answered, chuckling in relief as he poured himself some tea. "I can't believe we've finally found him, after all this time…" His smile fell as a thought occurred. "Uncle…what if…what if the Avatar hates us? We, the Fire Nation…destroyed his people. What if he refuses to work with us, or worse…?"_

 _The older firebender sighed deeply. "That is a very real possibility," he sighed, playing with a White Lotus tile. "If that is indeed the case…we shall have to convince him of our sincerity."_

" _I hope it doesn't come to that," Zuko murmured, sipping his tea carefully._

 _Zuko was once again meditating, this time in his cabin, wearing a crimson robe with his hair loose. Candles and incense burned in front of him, the fragrant smoke drifting into his nostrils as he breathed deeply._

 _Then, he was drowning beneath salty, ice-cold waves. He struggled beneath the waves, the cold sapping his strength as he desperately clawed for the surface, his fingers sinking into a wall of ice he couldn't see in the darkness. Pulling himself through it, Zuko found himself in a bubble in the iceberg, lit by a soft blue glow._

 _A boy sat before him in a meditative pose, knuckles pressed against one another as his eyes and arrow tattoos shone with unnatural light. He had but seconds to take in the features of the boy before him, the youthful baby fat in his cheeks and his thin, lanky form, before he was back on his ship, panting for breath._

 _The candles had been burned into low stubs and the incense had been long gone, but Zuko jumped to his feet and dashed through his door, knocking loudly against his Uncle's door. "Uncle! Uncle, wake up!" When he heard a tired groan, Zuko threw the door open and ran inside, stopping before the older firebender with wild hair and eyes._

" _What is it, Zuko?" Iroh groaned, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "It is much too early for our sunrise training, and my old bones need as much rest as possible."_

" _I saw him, Uncle," Zuko said simply, his chest still heaving. "I saw the Avatar."_

 _Uncle sat up, peering at him with clearing eyes. "You saw him not a week ago, Nephew," he pointed out cautiously. "What has you so riled up? Is he in danger?"_

" _Yes…no," the banished prince growled, a hand coming up to grip his hair in frustration. "I saw the Avatar, but he was_ beneath _the South Pole. He's in some kind of stasis, Uncle, frozen in time…and I think he's been there for a century."_

" _The entire century?" Iroh wondered aloud, before he paled. "But that would mean…"_

" _The Avatar is a_ child _," Zuko confirmed shakily, running a hand over his scar. "He can't be more than twelve. He…the world has changed so much, Uncle…he won't be ready for it."_

" _No, he won't," the older bender sighed, brushing his grey hair away from his face. "I might have idea…but you won't like it, Zuko."_

" _I already don't like this," the banished prince said bluntly._

 _Uncle took a deep breath and began slowly. "The Avatar will face many enemies. Unfortunately, most of them will be Fire Nation. He will need to learn how to face firebenders, slowly, so that he can grow to meet the challenge until he's ready to face the worst." At Zuko's confused look, he elaborated. "He needs a foe, a Fire Nation enemy, to challenge him constantly, to temper his abilities and help him grow as the Avatar."_

"… _Uncle," Zuko growled warningly. "We're trying to_ help _the Avatar. How in the_ Force _would hounding him across the world do anything but make him_ less _willing to help us?"_

" _Because we want to help him, Zuko," Iroh said gently. "As long as we are firm but not violent, he will be willing to hear us out when the time comes to reveal ourselves."_

 _The banished prince scowled. "You're right, I didn't like that at all," he muttered, palming his face with a growl. "But…I also don't see any other way. We'll do what you want, Uncle. But!" He pointed at the older bender with a threatening finger. "If this plan of yours fails and the Avatar hates us, you'll have to give up tea."_

 _Uncle paled drastically. "Now-now hold on, Prince Zuko-"_

" _And Pai Sho." He added, glaring. "For a_ year."

" _Alright," the older man nodded slowly. "I sincerely hope the Avatar is the understanding type."_

There was silence for a few moments. "Wait a minute," Sokka spoke up, "you're saying that you-that this _whole time_ -you've been helping us?!"

"Yeah," Zuko said simply, sipping his tea. "Believe me, if I had truly wanted to capture Aang, I would've."

"But wait!" The Avatar cut in, his large grey eyes shining with confusion. "You _did_ capture me, remember? At the South Pole!"

"Yes," the former prince nodded slowly. "Do you remember how you were chained up at Pohuai Stronghold? You were bound in such a way that you couldn't use your bending at all." At their questioning looks, he continued, "You _never_ found it odd that a ship and a crew with the _express_ intent of capturing the Avatar, who _everyone_ knows is an Airbender, would only tie your wrists? With _rope_?"

Aang, Katara and Sokka traded incredulous looks, a realization slowly dawning on them. "So…it could've been a lot worse?" The waterbender offered weakly. "I can't really see how."

"Remember our first meeting?" Zuko asked.

"Kinda hard to forget," Sokka grumbled.

 _The black metal prow carved through the ice and snow, stopping just shy of sailing straight into Sokka and knocking his 'mighty wall' over. The Water Tribe warrior stood on the newly-made hill of snow with a spear in hand, flinching slightly as the prow hissed open and dropped into a ramp. Zuko and four other firebenders marched down, their boots echoing off of the metal._

" _For the Water Tribe!" Sokka shouted and charged up the snow to meet them._

 _Zuko dodged the stab, grabbing the spear and using it as a lever to toss Sokka into the snow, burying him up to his waist in the powder. Sighing, he casually tossed the spear aside and stepped down to face the tribals huddled in front of him. "I'm looking for the Avatar!" He shouted. "He's old! Really old, like-" He pointed at Gran-gran, before shrugging. "Actually, way older than her. And the Master of all the Elements!"_

" _There are no Airbenders here," Gran-gran said gruffly, "There are no Airbenders anywhere since your people killed them."_

 _The banished prince sighed. "I know he's here! Bring him before me, and no one gets hurt!" The tribals huddled together even more, refusing to speak. "Fine, threats it is. If you don't bring the Avatar before me, I will leave!" The Water Tribe traded confused looks. "And then I will come back, just to break down that wall all over again!"_

 _Sokka's legs kicked frantically._

" _And I will have my men run parade formations on the deck of my ship at all hours! In full armor! You will never get another full night of sleep again!" He growled to himself when no one spoke up. "And I will run my ship at full blast, so that all your snow becomes gray! Your aesthetic will be ruined forever! Also," he rolled his eyes and threw a crescent of fire that dispersed harmlessly a foot away from him, but still drew gasps and screams of fright. "I am a big evil Firebender. Fear me. Rar."_

Yue broke out into loud giggles, clutching a hand to her mouth as the soup she had just eaten threatened to come out of her nose. "You-you really said that?!" she gasped, her cheeks red with delight. "A-and you guys…you believed that?!" At their slightly ashamed nods, the Princess laughed aloud and fell back from the table, clutching her stomach as she rolled around in mirth.

"Yeah, that probably should've been a warning sign," Sokka admitted, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "We just thought…we thought Firebenders were like that…"

"What about Kiyoshi Island?" Zuko offered, a smile on his face as he watched the very formal Northern Water Tribe Princess laugh like a loon.

 _Zuko and a contingent of troops rode up the main thoroughfare of the town, the people hiding within their homes in fear. "People of Kiyoshi!" He called, adjusting the bag on his shoulder. "I know the Avatar is hiding within your village! Surrender him to me, and no one gets hurt!"_

 _When no one stepped forward, he sighed and withdrew a small orb from within his satchel and held it aloft. "This is your last warning! Bring the Avatar out, or you will face the consequences!" As silence reigned, Zuko drew his arm back and let fly, the orb sailing through the air to impact the statue of Avatar Kiyoshi directly on the face. It burst with a loud pop, splattering the top third of the statue in almost violently yellow paint. "I will drown your village in this paint! You'll look like a village of clowns and it takes days to get rid of it!"_

" _You'd know all about that, Prince Zuko," a masked firebender to his right chuckled, only to freeze as the banished prince turned a fiery glare on him._

Sokka raised a hand, the other rubbing Yue's back as she gasped for breath. "Okay, I can see where that could've been worse, but I gotta ask; why _did_ you have so many paint bombs?"

Uncle chuckled deeply as Zuko scowled, hiding his burning cheeks behind his tea cup. "My Nephew asked me to teach him how to dodge," he began, coughing slightly, "I did not want to shoot fireballs at him, so I had the crew make them up from several barrels of paint I'd accidentally ordered and take turns throwing them at him. He learned rather quickly, I'm proud to say."

"'Accidentally ordered' my ass," the former prince muttered into his cup.

As the laughter trailed off, Katara reached up and touched the necklace around her throat. "That time with the pirates…" she started, flushing slightly as she recalled their meeting.

"Wait, pirates?" the Princess asked, her voice rough. "How did you come into conflict with pirates?"

"Katara stole a waterbending scroll from them!" Aang chimed in cheerfully. "The captain even had a pet iguana-parrot!"

"Yeah yeah," the Water Tribe warrior waved it off, focusing on his sister. "What happened with the pirates?"

"Well, Zuko was tying me to a tree-"

" _-Ow!" Katara grunted as the rope tightened around her stomach, pushing her spine against the thin wood of the tree._

" _Sorry," Zuko murmured, the rope loosening slightly. "I have a feeling we're going to be here for a while, so I'll try to make this as comfortable as possible."_

" _I'd be a lot more_ comfortable _if I wasn't_ tied to a tree _!" She snarled, pulling against her bonds._

 _The banished prince hummed thoughtfully as he circled around to face her, his golden eyes meeting her blue. "I don't doubt that, but you're a waterbender, we're by a river. I'm not taking any chances."He tapped his chin and pursed his lips curiously. "Why don't we work together, waterbender? You show me where the Avatar is, and you'll be set free."_

 _Katara scowled fiercely, turning her nose up at his offer. "No. I'll never give Aang up to the Fire Nation, you jerk."_

" _Really?" Zuko asked, a subtle note of humor in his voice. "Not even…for_ this?" _He dangled her choker in front of her eyes, the carved jewel glinting in the light._

 _She gasped aloud and tried to reach out for it, straining against the ropes. "Give that back!" Katara shouted, gritting her teeth as she pulled against the tree. "That was my mother's!"_

 _The banished prince blanched, examining the necklace in his hand. "Ah," he whispered, his eyes flickering up to meet hers. "I see. I'm sorry, but I can't give it back to you just yet."_

 _She frowned at him, wondering what the Fire Nation royal was planning. "What does that mean?" She asked lowly. "Just give it back."_

" _All of this trouble came from a simple waterbending scroll," Zuko replied, leaning in to whisper to the bound bender. "What do you think these pirates would do for an authentic, beautiful piece of Water Tribe jewelry? No, I'll hold onto it for now." With a few deft flicks of his fingers, he tied the necklace to his left wrist. "If there's any sort of chaos later, remember where this is."_

 _Katara gaped incredulously at him, her eyelid twitching. "You are_ so confusing _!" she shouted, trying to free a foot and kick him in the shin._

Aang and Sokka sent accusing looks at the waterbender. "You never told us about that!" Her brother complained, waving a hand at Zuko. "We thought he just stole it off you 'cause he's a jerk!" He found the former prince giving him a deadpan glare. "Sorry, I mean 'were' a jerk."

Zuko grunted carelessly. "Since you never took it back, I had to track you down and give it back. It was lucky June came into our lives at that point."

"Indeed," Iroh concurred with a slightly devious smile. "Almost as if it were…Forced." The firebending pair shared a chuckle while the others looked on in confusion.

Yue raised a hand in question. "Who is June?" She asked, before holding out her tea cup. "Also, can I have some more tea, please? This blend is delicious."

"It's a white jasmine and lavender blend," Zuko answered, using the Force to pour her another cup. "My favorite. June is a Bounty Hunter, one of the best in the world partially because of her mount, a shirshu. Shirshu are blind but have an incredible sense of smell, as well as a long, barbed tongue that they use to paralyze. She came upon my ship while we were in port and tore a chunk out of the deck to get at a stowaway below. Once we heard of her capabilities, I thought it'd be the perfect chance to return Katara's necklace and test you at the same time."

 _The Water Tribe siblings felt a sharp sting on their skin before they fell in the dirt, everything from the neck down going completely numb within a second. They heard the crunch of boots meeting earth, saw the shadow cover them and were helpless as they were rolled over to face the sky. Zuko loomed over them, his hair blowing in the breeze. "Quite the coincidence, meeting you here," he said dryly, "Where's the Avatar?"_

" _Aang's not here!" Sokka replied, his face going red from his attempts to move. "We went our separate ways!"_

"… _Uh-huh," the banished prince snorted in disbelief. "If that's the case, why don't you tell me where he is? I could offer you a ride back home if you cooperate."_

" _We aren't telling you anything! Right, Katara?" He managed to look at his sister, but found her staring up the firebender with narrowed eyes. Something damp, slightly cold and wriggly touched the back of his neck and he shrieked, his eyes bulging._

" _Nyla's got something," a smoky feminine voice declared, and Zuko rifled through Sokka's pack to find a crumpled piece of parchment. Holding it up to the shirshu, her pink star nose twitched and she snuffled, her snout pointing up the road. "She's got the scent."_

" _Looks like I don't need your cooperation," the banished prince muttered, giving the giant mole creature a pat on the snout before he heaved Sokka up on his shoulders._

" _Watch the hands!" The Water Tribe warrior growled as Zuko set him on Nyla's back, then crouched next to Katara. "Don't you touch my sister, ya jerk!"_

" _Then how am I supposed to pick her up, idiot?" Zuko snapped back. "Or would you prefer it if I left her in the middle of the road?" He turned away from Sokka's impotent grumbling to find Katara gazing up at him, her deep blue eyes focused intensely on his golden ones. He held up his arm, the jewel of her necklace dangling from the cord. "I held onto it, just like I said I would. Here," he unclasped the choker and made to put it back._

 _The waterbender blushed at the sensation of his long, warm fingers against the skin of her neck, but her gaze remained locked on him. "I really don't get you," she murmured, frowning slightly._

" _Hold on, sorry," he muttered, struggling slightly to get the clasp in place without accidentally choking her. "There we go. Back where it belongs." He adjusted the band slightly so that it rested comfortably against her throat._

" _Come on, Prince Grumpy!" June called from atop her mount. "Stop whispering to your girlfriend and let's get a move on!"_

 _Zuko grunted under his breath, slidin and arm under Katara's legs and back, picking her up bridal-style. "You ever like someone and hate someone at the same time?" He grumbled, lifting her onto Nyla's back._

" _All the damn time," she muttered, a peaceful sigh escaping her lips as she felt her mother's betrothal necklace back in place._

"And then you escaped after dumping perfume on us," Zuko concluded with a scowl. "It took me a week of baths to stop smelling like a flower garden. That was clever, really, but I still kind of hate you for that. Especially since you nearly scared the life out of Nyla."

"Oh yes, we're really sorry about _scaring_ a giant snarly tongue-monster that paralyzed us," Sokka said sarcastically, stuffing a meat bun into his mouth.

Uncle cleared his throat meaningfully. "I hope you understand, now, what we were attempting to do by pursuing you for so long." He poured himself another cup of tea. "But now that we have laid all our tiles on the table, it is your move, Avatar."

Aang chewed his lip thoughtfully, absently petting Momo as he stared at the table. "Hmm," he hummed loudly, tapping his chin. "Hmmmm…" He perked up, pointing triumphantly at Zuko. "Does this mean we can be friends?!"

The former prince chuckled and smiled warmly. "It does, Aang, just like I said months ago. If you'll have me."

"Alright!" The Avatar cheered, nearly jumping out of his seat in joy before composing himself with a cough. "I mean, before I make a decision, I'd like to hear more about your teacher, that…Sal guy."

"Ah," Zuko tented his fingers, peering over them at the group with his eyes glinting strangely. "Tell me, have you ever heard…The Tragedy of Darth Solace The Wise?"

…

…

…

…

 **A/N: Well wouldya look at that, another story that just popped out of nowhere. That's never happened before…**

 **Alright, so here's what's going on: I've been reading a lot of A:TLA stories, and pretty much all of them were Zuko and Katara pairings. But that's not the important part (right now), what is, is that reminded me of a certain scene in the third season, where Zuko's approaching the prison where Uncle's being held, and I remembered that in the commentary, they said it was based on the scene of Anakin Skywalker marching on the Jedi Temple during Order 66.**

 **And then I thought, huh. I could see that. I mean, they've got yellow eyes, anger issues, are driven by their passions and ambitions and then it struck me: The Fire Nation is a nation of** _ **Sith**_ **. An expansionist Empire, with the officers being reliant on their personal power, ambition and being the biggest jerk around, outclassed entirely by the massive jerk at the top.**

 **And that got me thinking of a Star Wars crossover where Zuko's a Sith, but when I went looking, I couldn't find any and I was rather disappointed. So I was like, fuck it, this is a kick-ass idea, Imma do it myself.**

 **That got me thinking about Sith and I came up with Darth Solace. Now, unlike** _ **SOME PEOPLE**_ **, I actually understand Sith naming conventions, so I initially tried to think of something more violent, but it got me thinking. What kind of Sith would get the name 'Darth Solace?' That be, like, a massive insult in Sith culture, and that eventually led to the character as you see him now, someone who left both the Jedi and Sith behind to make his own path.**

 **More of his backstory will be revealed in the next chapter, coming soon.**

 **Also, there won't be much crossover into the Star Wars besides the Force and some other things; that is to say, don't expect them to leave the planet.**

 **Well, I hope you enjoyed this monster of a chapter, with big thanks to NorthSouthGorem, Dariegh and AJR3333, but not Kurogane7, he wasn't here. Probably off being a productive member of society…**

… **LIKE A BITCH.**

 **Anyway, give them all a look and a shoutout from me!**

 **Stay Awesome.**

 **~Soleneus**

 **P.S.: And no, this doesn't mean I'm not working on Guardian of the Avatar, I was actually working on that before I was struck by inspiration. I don't know how long it'll last, but I'm still working on my other stories.**

 **Side note, Voltron. It's good.**

… **That's it.**

 **You can go away now.**

 **Stay Awesome Some More.**

 **~still Soleneus**

 **I'm serious, leave me alone.**

 **Stop scrolling down, you're not gonna find anything else.**

 **Stop it.**

 **Stoooopppp.**

 **Go 'way!**

…

… **Zutara forever, though.**


	2. The Tragedy Of Darth Solace The Wise

"No, you only just told us about this 'Dark Shoelace' guy," said Sokka around a mouthful of meat bun.

"I know, I just wanted to say that." Zuko gave them a slightly sheepish smile that faded into a frown as he scratched his cheek. "To be honest, I don't think I can tell the story the right way. I think it would be better for you to see it for yourself. Uncle?"

The older firebender took the offered hand in his own, offering the other to Yue. "Please, join hands, a physical connection is easier to follow," he said quietly. "Perhaps, with the Avatar here, you won't have to rely on me so much, Nephew. I'm not quite as skilled with the Force as you are."

"What are we doing?" Aang asked excitedly, grabbing the hands of the siblings sitting beside him. "Are you going show us more weird powers?"

"Yeah," the former prince admitted with a nod, taking Katara's hand while doing his best to ignore how pleasant such an action felt. "Projecting a voice is hard enough, but memories are even more so. Hopefully this works, otherwise I'm going to look pretty foolish." With a deep exhale, he closed his eyes and furrowed his brow, concentrating hard. A second later, he cracked an eye and frowned at them. "You have to close your eyes."

"Sorry," the young Avatar whispered, shifting slightly in his seat and shutting his eyes. "Okay, they're closed."

Zuko sighed, licking his lips nervously as he tugged on the eddies of the Force that bled from inside of him, intertwining it with energy flowing through the hands he held.

They gasped involuntarily as a sudden bout of vertigo hit; reflexively, they opened their eyes and found themselves in a metal room that swayed gently, a low bed in one corner and a small, candle-covered shrine in another. Beyond a pair of wide-bladed swords hung on the wall, the room was empty.

With the exception of two people. One was a younger Zuko, breathing heavily as he sat against a wall; at his side, a hooded man knelt. "That's good for today, Zuko," he said kindly, patting his shoulder.

"I can keep going!" The banished prince protested, though his weak struggles to get back up were defeated by a palm against the forehead.

"No, that's enough. Rest." The man ordered, standing with a sigh. "Your determination is admirable, kid, but recuperation is just as important as the exercise itself. Don't undo all of your hard work by pushing it."

"Fine," young Zuko grumbled, crossing his arms and trying very hard to appear as if he was manfully sulking and not _pouting_. Through the link, present Zuko felt amusement and an emotion that could be described as 'awww.' "I understand, Master."

"Ouch," the man grimaced, an amused smile curving his lips. "How many times am I gonna have to tell you to call me Solace? I was just having a little fun when I called you my Apprentice; I'm not a Sith anymore."

There were a few seconds of silence before the scarred teen spoke up. "Solace?" He asked carefully, "How…how did that happen? You told me before that your were a Jedi, then a Sith, but I don't know what any of that means."

"Ah," Solace clicked his tongue. "I forgot about that, sorry. Alright, I tell you the story, but let me get comfortable first." As the man took a seat by the young firebender, those linked in the present finally took in his features. And the fact that he was _glowing_.

He had a short black goatee and a rather handsome face, with eyes that seemed to shift between yellow and gold every second. He wore what looked like a mix of a robe and a long coat, cut around the thighs for mobility with a simple leather belt and a length of chain looped around his chest like a sash.

Darth Solace sighed, stroking his glowing chin. "I guess I should start from the beginning," he muttered to himself before clearing his throat. "You see, Zuko, I was born as a slave. For the first ten years of my life, all I knew were chains, pain and misery. But then, _she_ came…Jedi Master Catrid. She killed the slavers and set us free…and when it was discovered that I could use the Force, she took me under her wing as her Padawan. Although I enjoyed learning how to fight, my true passion lay in healing others, in using the Force to save lives."

"…Can you teach me how to do that?" Young Zuko asked quietly, his hands clenching at his knees as he resisted the urge to reach up and touch his still-raw scar.

"Of course, that's next after we properly condition your body," Solace answered, giving him a ghostly pat on the shoulder. "I'd seen enough pain and suffering at that point to know that I never wanted to be the cause…" He gave a bitter laugh with a shake of his head. "What a damn fool I was. My Master trained me for nearly ten years before I gained my Knighthood, but even then, I was becoming dissatisfied with the way the Galaxy was. The Jedi and the Sith were locked in a kind of cold war, where they'd attack, ravage a city of innocents and then we'd retaliate, drive them away then try to pick up the pieces."

The former Jedi growled under his breath. "I advocated for a more proactive approach, fighting the Sith man-to-man before they could take anymore lives. But what did that Council of self-righteous droids say? 'Oh no, we can't, that would go against the Will of the Force.' They wanted to sit and wait until… _something_ happened." He snorted in disgust. "So I left. I was so caught up in my loathing for the Jedi that, when the Sith came calling, I joined them without a second thought."

Young Zuko looked up at Solace with confusion written on his features. "But…they were the ones causing all the trouble. _They_ were responsible for everything you hated," he pointed out with a frown.

"Yeah," Darth Solace agreed with a nod. "They were. At that point, I didn't care. If no one was going to face down the Sith, I might as well join them, try to mitigate the damage they were doing from the inside. Again, I was a damn fool; you don't stand in front of a tidal wave, you grab everyone you care for and get out of the way." He sighed softly. "As much as I dislike the Jedi, the Sith were worse. If it wasn't poison, a 'training accident' or a suicide mission, it was blatant assassination. It didn't matter if they were a friend or family member, if they got in the way of a Sith's ambition, they were moved, violently."

He chuckled humorlessly. "It was only because of my ability with healing that I survived; in fact, without all the attempts on my life, I wouldn't've become as skilled as I was. Them trying to kill me made me a better a healer." The spirit stroked his goatee thoughtfully. "Eventually, I worked my way up the ranks until they had no choice but to recognize me as a Darth, and grant me my name, Solace. See, most every Darth has a name connected to misfortune or violence; hell, I even knew a guy Darth Vilense. By naming me after something good, they thought they'd given me the biggest insult imaginable, but really, I took it as a compliment. You know why?"

"Because you're a healer?" Zuko offered carefully.

His ancestor laughed aloud, clapping in mirth. "Exactly! I made the Dark Council sit up, and pay attention…to a Healer! They really couldn't have complimented me more! That's why, even after I left the Sith behind, I still call myself Darth Solace. It just makes me all warm and fuzzy inside." He settled back against the wall, still quietly chuckling.

His descendant frowned thoughtfully. "Why did you leave the Sith? You said you hated them, but you were with them long enough to gain a title. Why leave after that?"

Darth Solace snorted. "You don't go for the easy questions, do you? I left because I realized that for all my skill, for all the power my title gave me…I couldn't do a damn thing to change the Sith. Eventually, I grew tired of doing nothing, and I left." He closed his eyes tightly, long-set pain on his features. "And that…that is when I met the love of my life, and my eventual wife, Ridia. She was…so _beautiful_ , so kind and loving but a fearsome warrior in her own right. And she was like me, someone tired of the war between the Sith and the Jedi, tired of seeing the death and destruction they wrought. Two like-minded people couldn't have a real effect on the war, but they could comfort each other. That comfort grew into love and eventually marriage."

The Darth trailed off with a wistful sigh, and he looked so peaceful at that moment that Zuko was loathe to break it. But the story still wasn't over, and he hated leaving stories unfinished. "What happened after that?" he started, then hurriedly added, "And don't tell me a-about the _stuff_ old people do!"

Solace chuckled knowingly. "You read my mind, Zuko." His visage grew serious. "My love and I were together for five years…five amazing years of love and joy I had never thought possible. But then…she fell to a wasting illness, one that had no cure. For all my skills, they were useless in saving her. When my last attempt failed, I fell into despair…and from my desperation, I created my greatest achievement…and my greatest mistake."

He stood from the wall, turning face Zuko with a face that might as well have been carved from stone. "I developed a technique of unprecedented utility, although that only became obvious later," Darth Solace began. "The Force penetrates us and binds us all together, but every living being, even plants and rocks, emanate the Force. It is what gives us life…and I learned how to siphon that energy away, turning it into pure Life Force. With it, I could heal even the most grievous wounds, regrow limbs in an hour, eradicate even the most fatal disease…or crush a ship into a ball of scrap, generate a bolt of Force Lightning strong enough to disintegrate a rancor, choke a score of men with a thought…"

As he looked up at the man towering over him, the banished prince felt a sense of dread, a sense of impending terror that he could not comprehend. Though they shared the golden eyes, what he saw behind Darth Solace's was a breadth and depth of knowledge and power, and in that moment Zuko understood just what it was like to be an insect. He thought he'd known what being insignificant was like.

He'd been wrong.

"…And all I wanted was to save my wife," Solace said softly, his presence diminishing slightly. "So excited I was, to discover something that could save her, that I neglected the first steps of any treatment. _Make sure it works. As. Intended._ I…did not. And by doing so, the technique I developed to save her, to siphon my own Life Force into her…backfired."

"…W-what?" Zuko asked faintly. Echoes of disbelief and horror echoed through the link.

"I absorbed her Life Force," he stated, "In my desperation to save her life…I killed my wife."

"That…that's…you-you killed-!" The banished prince stuttered in disbelief. "That's-!"

"Unforgivable? Dishonorable? Evil?" Solace offered flatly. "Believe me, Zuko, there aren't any words for what I did, none that I haven't repeatedly said of myself. I won't make excuses for my actions, but you must understand…no one could hold me more accountable than myself."

Young Zuko sat back against the wall, running a hand over his sweaty forehead. "…What," he started, pausing to clear his throat. "What happened after that?"

"I tried to balance the scales," the former Sith said, pacing in front of his descendant. "After I laid her to rest, I traveled across the Galaxy. At every world I visited, I found the worst scum…and every one of them, I used my new technique on. I drained their Life Force and then, I found their victims. I healed those on the brink of death, those who couldn't be saved by medicine. I hoped that by doing so, I could earn some sort of forgiveness…instead, I only made things worse."

Zuko coughed in disbelief. "H-how?!"

"Life Force, Zuko, pure Life Force," he turned to the young firebender, reaching a hand up to touch his face. "Manipulating such power…even age is no consequence. By the time I drew the attention of the Jedi and the Sith, I'd traveled to a hundred worlds, saved thousands of lives and ended thousands more…and yet, over the decades, I remained the same. I was, for all intents and purposes…immortal. The Jedi saw me and my technique as an abomination, something to be wiped from history, while the Sith…they just wanted more power."

Solace shook his head. "I ran from them for years, vainly hoping that they would lose interest if I was fast enough. Obviously, it didn't work; chaos, death and destruction followed wherever I went and I eventually came to realize that, after all the time I spent cleaning up after all the battles and disasters between the Jedi and the Sith…I had _become_ the disaster." He laughed bitterly. "Yet another failure. I knew that it could not continue, though I killed every Jedi or Sith that came after me, they just wouldn't stop…eventually, they even banded together, once I had left one alive to spread the message that I was intending to use my new power and take over the Galaxy."

Zuko tilted his head curiously. "And they believed that?"

"Of course they did. Once someone gets powerful enough, they seem to always want to take over the Galaxy," he huffed softly. "Of course, that was just a distraction while I made a plan that would end the chaos for good. I found an uninhabited planet, barren for the most part but still life-supporting. Then, over several months, I siphoned the Life Force of the planet into myself."

The banished prince gaped unabashedly at his ancestor. "…You can do that?" He whispered, unsure if he was horrified or awed.

Darth Solace nodded solemnly. "Everything, Zuko, _everything_ exists as part of the Force. Of course, I couldn't drain the entirety of the planet's Life Force, I would've exploded, but I eventually had enough for my purposes. And, when I was ready, I made myself a beacon in the Force, drawing the combined fleet of Sith and Jedi to that barren rock. As they descended on me, I enacted the second part of my plan." He smiled viciously, his eyes glinting even through the glow. "I Pulled a portion of the local asteroid belt into the planet's orbit."

"Asteroids?" Zuko asked, "What are those?"

"Free-floating rocks, anywhere from the size of a pebble to a mountain," he explained, tapping his chin in thought. "Like that comet you told me about, except that they don't move…not exactly, I don't want to get into physics with you. Needless to say, asteroids are extremely dangerous by themselves, but especially so when they've been pulled into the path of a fleet. Less than a third of the ships escaped the destruction, and the few that made it through were destroyed when the asteroids rained across the surface of the planet. In the end, with most of their forces gone and the planet ruined, they thought I was dead and left to recover…just as I planned."

Solace sat down in front of Zuko, resting his chin on his fist. "I took my ship and I headed for Wild Space, beyond the reach of the Sith or the Jedi. I don't know long I traveled, I spent most of it in meditation, but eventually I came upon a system with a single planet capable of supporting life. It was wild, with only pockets of primitive tribes, but it was…perfect, for someone who just wanted to get away." He paused, sighing deeply. "No one could know who I was, and I wanted to leave my past behind me. When I landed, I buried my ship and approached the local tribe, offering to help in any way I could. At that point, a simple life was all I wanted. But then…"

"Then _what_?" The young firebender grouched. "Did your ship explode and cause an earthquake?"

The former Sith turned a blank look on the younger man. "No," he said carefully, "Though I can see why you would think that. No, what happened is that one of the women was heavily pregnant, and went into labor. Naturally, being a healer, I was present and helped deliver the child safely. It was as I watched this new family, their baby girl crying in their arms, that I realized how much I missed being a healer. Death and destruction had been my instruments for so long that I had forgotten how happy it made me to save lives. So, I dedicated myself to helping the primitive people I'd met. I taught them medicine, taught them how to speak Trade and then…I left to find the other tribes and spread the knowledge to them."

"You didn't teach them about the Sith or Jedi?" Zuko asked confusedly. "Why?"

The former Jedi frowned at him. "Why the hell _would_ I? I faked my death to get away from that, and it's not like they'd just show up one day, the Galaxy would need to be unified into a singular force before they'd expand passed known space, and that's never going to happen. Don't worry about them, they're never going to be a factor here." He opened his mouth continue, but stopped. "Where was I?"

"You were traveling the world," his descendant said, stretching his arms out over his head and wondering when the story would be over. He needed a shower something fierce.

"Ah yes, I traveled around the world, visiting the other tribes to teach them about medicine and such. In thanks they gifted me with the most valuable thing they had to offer." He gave Zuko a dry look. "Fertile women; though I'd picked up some followers along the way. By the time I had finished, I had ten wives and over a hundred followers, and I was tired of traveling. I was satisfied with what I'd done, and I wanted a place to call my own, so I settled us in the blasted-out crater of a dormant volcano, a caldera."

"Caldera City," Zuko whispered in revelation.

"That's what it came to be called, yes," Solace nodded. "During my travels, I'd come across something strange. There were these people, on the outside indistinguishable from everyone else but on the _inside_ …before, I thought it was the Force, simply moving things with their mind…but when I looked deeper it was…something else. Wilder. Still the Force, but… _different_. These people could _bend_ the elements to their will. Even my children could do so, but with fire. And for some reason, they treated this new, unique ability like a _tool._ Just something to start a campfire, cook a meal or light a path in the night."

"Wait," the banished prince spoke up, "Your children, my ancestors…could they use the Force?"

Darth Solace shrugged. "Some of them, yes. Some of them were benders who could also use the Force, but others could only bend or had no special ability at all. I loved them all equally, but I will admit a slight bias towards my bending children. See, I saw them draw on this _Wild_ Force but their flames were weak. I taught them how to draw on their emotions, to fuel their fire with their passion and defend themselves against the stronger benders." He chuckled ruefully. "At the time, I thought I was showing them how to protect themselves, but now…all I did was create a smaller pyromaniac version of the Sith."

Zuko didn't know how to address that. "If you were almost immortal, how did you die?"

"I had lived long enough to see my wives grow old and die, and my children had children of their own. My time had passed, so I began to siphon my Life Force into this world and eventually, I began to die." His face hardened as he turned to Zuko, his golden eyes glowing. "But on my deathbed, I had one last vision. This world, consumed in flames…and standing before it, laughing, was a man with my eyes. With the last of my strength, I created my holocron, turned it into a container for my spirit, and hid it inside the temple; hoping that one day, the one who could fix my mistakes would come."

"…And you think that's me?" Young Zuko asked quietly. "But I…I'm just a Firebender. A failure of a Crown Prince."

"No, Zuko," Solace said softly, kneeling in front of him. "You are so much more than what you believe. You may not see it yet, but _I_ do. You are my only hope. The last chance for my legacy to be more than failure after failure. It is my fault the world is how it is…it is up to my descendants to fix it. But that doesn't mean I won't give you all the help I can."

"I…" The banished prince swallowed thickly. "…I will try," he whispered. Through the link, they felt embarrassment and amusement in unequal measures.

"That is all I ask," Darth Solace squeezed his shoulder gently. "Tomorrow, we will continue your training. Until then, go get washed up. You smell-and I'm _dead-_ so you know it's bad."

Vertigo struck and the ship faded away in a black swirl and suddenly, they were back in the North Pole, sitting before a table of food in a comfortable room. Zuko dropped Katara and Uncle's hand, leaning back heavily in his short chair as sweat beaded on his forehead. He rasped dryly, motioning for a jug of water. Uncle reached for it but stopped as water flowed from the mouth, across the table and into the cup Katara held, which she quickly handed off.

Taking a deep drink, the former prince wiped his face with his sleeve and gave her a grateful nod. "Thank you," he murmured, sighing as he shook his head tiredly. "Sorry, I didn't think it would take so much out of me."

Sokka sat back in his chair, one hand rising to rub his cheek while the other squeezed Yue's. "All of…that was beyond crazy," he said faintly, lifting a serious look on the firebenders. "And this isn't some kind of insane prank?"

"I'm afraid not," Uncle intoned solemnly, folding his arms into his sleeves. "Everything Solace said is true. Perhaps you've heard the stories, the myths of the Wiseman who gifted our ancestors with knowledge?"

The Princess gasped. "I do!" She breathed, before frowning in confusion. "But…the legend said he had blue eyes…"

"Who would you be more willing to trust?" Iroh offered with a shrug, "A strange man? Or one who looks like you?"

The Tribals conceded his point with a nod, with Katara glancing at Zuko as he regained his breath. "If he was a healer and he taught you…" She began slowly, frowning in thought. "…Does that mean you've been able to heal this entire time?"

"Yeah," Zuko nodded. "I'm not quite as good as he was-I don't think _anybody_ could be-but I can heal."

The Waterbender blinked at him in surprise before she scowled. "Then why didn't you heal yourself before the invasion?!"

"That's what I said, as well," Uncle muttered disapprovingly.

"And _I_ told you, that's because they wouldn't be facing a Force-user, and Firebenders can't heal!" The former prince shot back, setting his cup on the table and crossing his arms. "If we had to act like enemies, then we had to do it _right_. Healing myself would've broken character."

"Well then, why didn't you heal after you stopped Zhao?" Katara continued, unwilling to drop her point even as she mimicked his pose.

The firebender gave her a dry look. "I need to focus to heal with the Force," he said simply. "It's a little hard to focus with a punctured lung."

"Oh," she realized, looking at the table with an embarrassed blush. "I said I was sorry about that," she murmured, playing with a hair loopie.

"Don't be. You took advantage of my distraction and laid me out with one move," Zuko smiled slightly in approval. "I respect that."

The waterbender flushed deeper, and both Aang and Sokka frowned at him, though for different reasons. "Zuko…" The Avatar began, "What Solace could do, that life force thing…can you do that, too?"

The Firebender sighed uncomfortably. "Yes," he answered, raising a hand when Aang made to protest. "I _know_ how to use it, but I've only ever used it once and that was on a fish. After that, I swore I'd never use it again."

"Why not?" Sokka asked, hurriedly adding, "Not that I can't see why, I'm just asking."

Zuko sighed again. "So many problems could be traced back to the instant Solace created that technique," he said softly. "His wife, being chased…coming to our world. The one time I used it, the power I felt was…intoxicating, like I'd eaten the finest meal and had the best night of sleep in my life, like I could do _anything_ …I didn't like it. And I didn't want to learn it in the first place. When I told him that…"

Zuko and Iroh shuddered at the memory of the metal of their ship groaning under the weight of Solace's displeasure. "'There will come a time where your skills will fail you,'" the older firebender murmured, staring at the steam rising from his tea, "'And when they do, someone you love _will_ pay the price. When their blood runs thick through your fingers and you know true despair, _then_ you will see the benefits of my technique.' That is what he told us."

"And I figured it was better to have it and not need it than the opposite," the former prince added. "I just hope that time never comes."

Uncle hummed in agreement. "So, Avatar," he began, the atmosphere lightening as he smiled warmly. "Have you and your friends heard enough of our story to make a decision?"

"Yeah! You can totally-!" Aang paused as he looked at the Water Tribe siblings. "I mean, this should be a team discussion, so we should discuss this-as a team." The three of them huddled together in a circle about three feet away from the table, with Momo circling their heads. "Guys, what do you think we should do? I mean-"

Zuko leaned towards his Uncle, whispering out of the corner of his mouth. "Do they think we can't hear them? We're not that far away."

"Then we should pay them of courtesy of pretending we aren't eavesdropping," Iroh said back, turning to the amused Water Tribe Princess with a smile. "So, Princess Yue, Zuko told me the story of your birth. It's quite amazing to be so connected to a Spirit as you are."

"Oh, indeed, General Iroh," Yue replied with a hint of color in her cheeks, playing with a strand of her white hair. "I sometimes get flashes of emotion from Tui and what I think are thoughts, but they're so…different. It's humbling, and reminds me how of fortunate I am to have been saved. Also, I know exactly when the tides come in or out."

"Fascinating," Zuko murmured, the princess flushing further under his searching golden eyes. "You must be quite the Waterbender, then."

She shook her head slowly. "Oh no, I'm not a Waterbender."

The Firebenders traded frowns before looking at her curiously. "Are you sure?" Iroh asked gently, "You _are_ connected to one of the fundamental forces of Waterbending. I don't see how you could be anything other than a Waterbender, Princess, and a phenomenal one, at that."

"…You make a good point," Yue muttered to herself, tapping her chin in thought. "I suppose learning how to heal would be beneficial."

"Just healing?" Zuko asked, gesturing at the still-huddled group. "Not fighting? I'm sure if you asked Katara, she could help you get started."

"Oh no, Master Katara is a special situation," the Princess denied with a shake of her head. "Here, all Waterbending women become Healers, that's the tradition."

The former prince frowned at her. "That's stupid," he said bluntly.

"Nephew," Iroh warned softly, turning back to the Princess. "What he means to say is that we find that tradition to be quite strange, especially in these times of strife. In the Fire Nation, men and women are considered equal in all things, and advancement is based on personal ability and power. Firebenders and non-benders aren't quite the same, but everyone has a place, should they strive for it."

Yue sighed, playing with her empty teacup. "That _does_ sound nice," she muttered to herself. "You've given me a lot to think about, General Iroh."

"Please, call me Uncle," Uncle said warmly. "More tea?"

"Oh, yes please."

As they began a polite conversation, Zuko turned his attention to the food, a thick brown stew in particular. Serving himself a bowl, he poked a chunk of what looked like meat with a spoon, taking a scoop and carefully eating it. As he chewed, his eyebrows slowly rose as he looked down at the stew like he'd never seen anything like it before. Reaching over, the former prince tugged on Uncle's sleeve. "Uncle, you have to try this," he stated firmly, holding the bowl under the older firebender's nose.

"Ah, stewed sea prunes," Iroh recognized, gently pushing it away. "I have tried them before, Nephew, and they are not to my taste. Are you enjoying them?"

"Yes," Zuko muttered, shoving another spoonful in his mouth. "They're really good."

"Alright!" Aang declared, spinning around to face the table with a wide grin. "We've come to a-Zuko?"

The former prince looked up from his bowl, his cheeks stuffed with prunes. Flushing horribly, he chewed and swallowed, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Yes?" He asked, surreptitiously serving himself another bowl.

At his side, Katara muffled a giggle behind her hand. "Uh, we decided you guys can come with us! Welcome to the team!" The Avatar declared happily, the flying lemur on his shoulder chittering. "Although…you're still prisoners. I'll talk to Chief Arnook, he'll let you go!"

"Do not worry, Avatar Aang," Iroh smiled, "We have already secured our freedom. We were simply waiting to hear your decision, and we are honored to accept a place with you."

"Oh, that's good," Aang said cheerfully, leaning back in his seat with his hands behind his head. "This is gonna be so fun!"

…

The doors parted before her, swinging open silently as she walked into the throne and knelt before the throne, a wall of pulsing fire between her and the Fire Lord. As it was the only source of light in the room, she couldn't see his face, but she could feel his burning gaze on her. "Princess Azula," he began, his sinister voice echoing through the room. "I have a task for you."

"How may I serve the Fire Lord?" Azula asked softly, her eyes on the floor.

"It appears that your traitorous uncle's presence has finally poisoned the Crown Prince," he growled. "Your brother-" the fire before him briefly burned brighter, with a blue tinge before it faded, "-has turned his back on us, his home, and his Fire Lord. You will find them, Princess Azula, and you will bring their heads back to me. Wipe this _stain_ from our glorious line…For the Fire Nation."

"I _will_ succeed," she promised, tilting her head up to look at him, a smile curling her lips.

"Of that, I have no doubt…my daughter."

It was not a nice smile.

…

They stood together on the deck of a wooden ship, the Avatar, two members of the Southern Water Tribe and two former members of Fire Nation Royalty. Chief Arnook, Waterbending Master Pakku and Princess Yue stood with them, bearing smiles and sorrow in equal measure. "Although I am sad to see you leave, I am thankful for all you've done, personally," Arnook glanced at his daughter, her eyes locked with Sokka's, "And for the Northern Water Tribe as a whole."

"I'm just sorry the invasion happened in the first place," Aang said quietly, before perking up. "But I'm glad we could help! That's what the Avatar does, after all!"

"Indeed," the Chief chuckled lightly, pulling Zuko and Iroh aside as Pakku stepped forward. "Listen, I may not like you or the Fire Nation, but I can respect the risks you've taken and the danger you've put yourselves in by allying with the Avatar."

Even without the Force, Zuko could see that there was more to the conversation. "…And?"

Arnook sighed, looking over at his daughter who was now softly murmuring to Sokka in-between kisses. "The night my daughter was born was both the best and worst day of my life. We thought she'd been stillborn, but the Moon Spirit blessed her with life…but at the same time, I received a vision. A vision of a beautiful white-haired girl sacrificing her life to become the Moon Spirit." He leveled a serious gaze on the two Firebenders, his eyes shining with a depth of pain and pride only Iroh could recognize. "But thanks to you two, that vision hasn't come to pass, and I still have my daughter. As a Chieftain, you saved my heir and our Princess; and as thanks, I gift you with these."

A pair of guards stepped forward, handing off bundles to the Firebenders. Iroh unwrapped his to find a Pai Sho table stitched into a sturdy blanket, along with tiles carved from ivory and several pouches of herbs and tea leaves. Zuko opened his bundle, finding within a hooded robe of tough but flexible leather, cut around the thighs for mobility and without sleeves. And wrapped within was a pair of dao blades, a sheathed knife, black clothing and a mask depicting the toothy grin of the Blue Spirit.

"You have no need to thank us, Chief Arnook," Iroh said formally, bowing at the waist. "But your gifts are most appreciated."

"Indeed," Zuko murmured, hiding the mask within the bundle and tucking it under his arm to bow as well. "We are just trying to balance the scales."

"In any case, that's not all I have for you," Arnook continued, his smile fading as he stepped forward, lowering his voice. "This morning, I asked Tui and La for a suitable reward because as a parent, you saved my darling little girl from sacrificing herself and that's not something I can ever repay…but I think these will be a good start."

He handed something to the former prince, something that clinked softly and felt like ice in his hands. Peering down, Zuko found a pair of crystals, each less than three inches long. One was a deep, dark blue while the other was a light, almost white blue. He stared at them for a long second, uncomprehending, before realization struck. "Uncle-!"

Iroh chuckled deeply, amusement plain on the lines of his face. "The Spirits always find a way to surprise us, Nephew."

"I don't know why the Spirits would give you crystallized water from the Spirit Oasis," the Chief shrugged, "But please, use them well."

"We will," Zuko promised, bowing again. They joined the main group as Pakku handed Katara a vial containing water from the Spirit Oasis and gave Aang a scroll of advanced Waterbending techniques.

"-The Avatar will have to get used to calling you 'Master' Katara," Pakku finished warmly. "And the time has long since passed that our sister tribe has been left alone. I, and several of my students, are traveling to the South Pole. And perhaps I will carve Kanna a new necklace."

Katara lunged forward, grabbing the old man in a tight hug. "I think she'll be happy to see you," she said happily, stepping back and sharing a deep bow with the older Waterbender. "Master Pakku."

"Master Katara," Pakku nodded, his eyes falling on Sokka and Yue. " _Ahem._ I think it's time to get going, Princess."

They parted with equal blushes. "Yue, the next time we meet," Sokka promised lowly, "I'll have a necklace for you…i-if you want me to, I mean."

"I would like nothing more," Yue replied softly, a beautiful smile lighting up her face. "And by the time we meet again, I'll be a Master Waterbender…hopefully. It'll be quite a challenge living up to the standards Master Katara set."

"I believe in you, if that helps," the Water Tribe warrior offered with a wink. "But we've gotta go, now…have to save the world and all that stuff."

The Northern Water Tribe Princess clasped his hands in hers and gave him one last lingering kiss before stepping back. "I believe in you too, Sokka. Keep in touch, okay?"

"I will," he swore, squeezing her hands before letting them go, climbing into Appa's saddle with the others. He leaned against the edge, smiling goofily as Aang flicked the reins and they took to the air. They watched as the Northern Tribals waved, even as they grew smaller and smaller on the wooden deck of the ship.

Before long, they were flying over an empty stretch of water, the blue ocean reaching out in all directions. Sokka sighed longingly, still looking in the direction of the North Pole. "Soaring through the sky, like a dragon of old," Iroh murmured, enjoying the feel of the wind on his face. "Truly, your sky-bison is magnificent, Avatar Aang."

"Yep, Appa's the best!" Aang chirped, rubbing the bison's head affectionately. Another longing sigh came from the warrior. Hopping into the saddle, the Airbender smiled widely at the two firebenders. "It'll be a while until we reach ground! Anyone want to tell a few stories?"

Uncle chuckled genially, folding his hands into his sleeves. "I would love to. Tell me, have you ever heard the Tale of the Turtle-duck That Wanted to Become a Dragon? It was Zuko's favorite bedtime story."

"Uncle…" Zuko groaned under his breath, palming his face in embarrassment as Aang and Katara giggled. Sokka sighed again. "I'm going to meditate." Ignoring the voices and the rush of wind in his ears, the former prince closed his eyes and sank into the Force, setting himself adrift in the tides. As he floated peacefully, he flexed his senses and felt the presences of the people around him.

Uncle's spark was small but steady, and although he could use the Force to push and pull, he mainly used it to cheat at Pai Sho. Zuko felt like frowning when he sensed another presence in the saddle, but the amount of Wild Force energy Aang bled out overwhelmed the search.

Turning away from the his new team, Zuko cast his mind out into the energy of the world, noting the presences of unknowing Force-users near and far, though he couldn't pinpoint them exactly. He mentally perked up as he felt that feminine presence join him in the eddies of the Force, noting with some concern the irritation she felt. He sent the impression of an understanding smile, the brush of a warm hand over tense shoulders that became a gentle hug.

The woman sent back an impression of grateful eyes, the relaxing of muscles and a head leaning into his shoulder, all the tense dissatisfaction escaping in a breath that brushed his throat. He resisted the urge to ask, _who are you?_ Every time he did, the feminine presence would shy away as if ashamed and vanish, usually for a day or two before returning, subdued and sad. Whoever the presence was, he hated making her feel unhappy, and so refrained.

He felt a touch of wordless concern, like a fingertip on his chin. _Don't worry, I'm safe,_ he sent with reassurance. _Things are going to get a bit more chaotic, but I will try to meet you here…before I find you outside of the Force, that is._

Amusement, like a giggle, echoed from her. _Not for a while yet,_ he received, resisting the urge to frown. _All in good time._ Her presence settled against his comfortably and they fell into a lull, rocking together in the tides of the Force until he felt a poke on his physical shoulder.

With a regretful sigh, he pulled away from her, reaching up to rest a hand on her cheek as she did the same. _I've got to go. I'll see you soon._ With one last touch, they broke away and Zuko inhaled sharply as he sat up in the saddle. "What do you want?" He asked shortly.

Katara arched an eyebrow at him. "I thought meditation is supposed to make people _less_ grumpy."

He frowned at her grumpily. "It is…when it isn't interrupted." Sokka sighed longingly. "Sokka…"

"Ah, you were with her again, weren't you?" The older firebender nodded knowingly.

" _Her_ who?" The Waterbender asked intensely, narrowing her eyes on Uncle.

Zuko sighed, brushing a hand through his short hair. "There's a presence I can feel in the Force, someone who feels like a woman. She feels familiar, but I don't know who or where she is." He shrugged, leaning back against the saddle. "We always seem to find each other when we meditate. What did you need me for?"

"We're trying to come up with a schedule!" Aang chirped, holding Momo's tail as the flying lemur streamed out of the saddle like a flag. "It'll take about a week to get the Earth Kingdom base, but there's some stuff we gotta do along the way!"

"…And this _stuff_ is more important than learning Earthbending?" The former prince asked slowly.

"All practice and no maintenance leads to a dull blade, Nephew," Iroh offered with a genial smile. "And there's a lovely hot springs resort on the way. I haven't exfoliated my pores in weeks, Zuko. _Weeks._ "

"It's better to learn at our own pace," Katara added with a small smile. "Besides, Aang still needs to work on his Waterbending."

Zuko shrugged. "That's fair, I guess," and Sokka sighed once more. " _Sokka-!"_ Zuko and Katara paused in their growling, blinking at each other before he nodded.

She nodded back and lightly punched her brother's shoulder. "Sokka! I swear if you _sigh_ one more time, I'm going to push you out of the saddle and you can _swim_ back to the North Pole!"

"But Katara!" Sokka whined, slumping bonelessly in the saddle. "I miss my Snow Princess _so much!"_

"Ah, young love," Uncle sniffed. "They say absence makes the heart the grow fonder."

"Right." Zuko snorted, his mind on his 'father' and 'sister.' "Why are we going to an Earth Kingdom base? We don't need supplies."

"They're going to escort us into the city of Omashu, officially this time," Aang replied, perking up as Appa grunted. "Hey, look! Land! I think we've traveled far enough for today, guys." He hopped onto the sky-bison's head and took the reins, directing them to land in a clearing amidst the sea of grass and brush below.

Appa landed with a quiet thump, lowing contentedly as the Avatar dropped from his head and gave him a loving scratch. Zuko hopped down from the saddle, reaching up to offer a hand to his uncle. The older firebender took the help with a gracious smile, hitting the ground with a grunt as he shook out his numb legs. Katara stood in the saddle, unpacking the saddle-bags and handing supplies down to the men below. "I think I saw a stream over that way," she called, pointing to the east. "Let's get settled in and then we'll practice our forms, alright Aang?"

"Gotcha, Sifu Katara!" The Avatar answered cheerfully, already gathering stones for a firepit. "Hey guys, you wanna watch us practice? Maybe you've got some advice!"

"I would very much enjoy that, Avatar Aang," Iroh smiled, unrolling his bedroll with a flick of his wrists. "I've studied Waterbending in my spare time; perhaps I can offer an outsiders point of view."

"That'd be great," Katara replied, handing a cooking pot and bags of food down to Zuko, hopping down after them. "Hard to believe a Firebender would study a Waterbender, though."

"Know your enemy," Zuko murmured, giving her a flat stare that made her blink, before breaking into a small smirk. "There's a lot we can learn from each other, especially when it comes to Bending. Uncle and I incorporate Airbending styles into our Firebending."

He nearly dropped the pot when Aang popped up next to him, wide grey eyes sparkling. "Really?!" The Avatar gasped, nearly seizing Zuko's arm in excitement.

"We traveled to several of the Air Temples in search of you, Avatar Aang," Uncle spoke up, chuckling as he fed Momo a piece of dried fruit. "While most were destroyed, we found a few scrolls that had survived the invasions and learned from the techniques within."

"…Really?" Aang asked with quiet hope. "Do you have them?"

"Unfortunately not, Avatar," Iroh said regretfully. "But rest assured, they are kept in the safest place we know of, and they will remain there until you wish them returned."

The Avatar sighed quietly. "It's probably better to keep them hidden," he muttered, scratching his bald head. "But it's good to know we're not the only thing left, right buddy?" And just like that, he was back to being chipper as he hugged Appa's head.

Katara hummed as she looked at their food supplies. "Tonight seems like a soup night," she said to herself, hefting the pot onto her shoulder. "Sokka, can you gather some firewood? And if you're not done by the time I get back, you don't get dinner."

Zuko matched her pace as she set out from the clearing. "I'll come with you," he stated, meeting her surprised look with a blank, "What?"

"Nothing," she shrugged, a small smile on her lips. "I just think it's nice we aren't fighting anymore."

"Yeah," he agreed with a nod. "I still want to spar with you on occasion, though. Keep our skills sharp." Zuko paused, dropping to one knee as he examined a small, leafy plant nestled in the base of a tree. Drawing his knife, he bundled the herb together and cut through the stems. "Wild mint," he said simply, cleaning his knife and storing the herb away in a pouch.

"You know how to forage?" the Waterbender asked, slightly impressed. "I thought you'd have people to do that for you."

"Uncle taught me how to identify herbs and spices," the former prince replied, "When you live on a ship for the better part of three years, you get tired of salted fish really quick." Stopping again, he knelt to examine a small flowery plant with almost violently purple petals. With a quiet, "Ah," Zuko burnt it to a crisp with a burst of flame. "Strangle Violet," he said simply.

"Oh," Katara murmured, perking up slightly at the sound of running water. Setting the pot down by the stream, she took a moment to dip her hands in the water and splash her face. Blinking droplets from her eyes, she peered into the shallows, tracking the slim silver forms darting in and out of sight. "I think roasted fish would go well with vegetable soup. And it'd be seperate so Aang won't have a problem…besides the fishing, anyway."

"I'll clean them if you catch them," Zuko offered, drinking steaming water from his cupped hands. "I can smoke a few if you want, help stretch our supplies a little."

"That sounds great, thanks," she said with a smile, already moving through simple, flowing motions as she bent a thin stream of water into the pot. "Hey, Zuko." He arched an eyebrow at her in question. "Think fast!"

The firebender frowned at her before his eyes widened and he leaned back, just in time to dodge a silver fish as it sailed passed his nose. He dipped, ducked and dodged a veritable salvo of fish as Katara launched them from the stream. When she stopped, Zuko looked down at the silver fish as they flopped weakly on the grass, a small smirk on his lips. "You miss-" With a flick of her fingers, another jumped from the stream and slapped his face. "…Ow."

Katara giggled loudly at the surprised and slightly wet look on his face. "Gotcha!" She crowed, a hand coming up to cover her mouth as he wiped the moisture from his face. He scowled at her, but was unable to hold back a smile at her laughter, shaking his head as he knelt at the stream to clean his cheek.

"See if I make you any tea, now," Zuko muttered, lying through his teeth.

"Right," the waterbender said knowingly, tapping her nose. Her mirth faded as she found herself staring at the suffocating fish. "Hey, Zuko?"

"Yeah?"

"When you used that… _thing_ on a fish…what happened to it?" She asked carefully.

He sighed, running hand through his short hair. "After I absorbed all of its energy, it collapsed into dust," he explained shortly. "Life Force isn't just our life, it's what animates us, what makes us move. And when there's none of it left…"

Katara blanched as a vision hit her of a beautiful woman, once strong now gaunt and pale, collapsing into dust as a horrified man with golden eyes stood over her. She tried to shake the image away, her hair loopies smacking against her cheeks. "…I wish I didn't ask."

Zuko grunted, toeing a still-struggling fish into the water, watching as it darted away. "Yeah."

She slapped her cheeks gently, kneeling in the grass as she retrieved a fishing line, threading it through the gills of the dead fish. "Can you carry the pot back? I'll carry the fish." He grunted agreeably, heaving the pot up into his arms as they set off back to camp. "I'm sorry I brought it up."

"You're curious, it's understandable," he muttered, pausing as a small cluster of brown mushrooms caught his eye. "Will you grab those for me? I'll add them to the soup." He held a leg out toward her. "You can use my knife."

"Good idea," she murmured, kneeling down to harvest the mushrooms, the characters on the almost pearlescent blade catching her eye. "Huh. This is a really nice knife, Zuko."

"Uncle gave it to me," the former prince recalled fondly. "I've learned to live by the motto."

"'Made in the Earth Kingdom?'" She read aloud.

"Other side," he corrected.

"Oh," Katara flipped the blade around in her hand. "'Never give up without a fight,'" she whispered, the words resonating through her comfortably, sparking something warm in her chest. She slipped it back into his boot as she stood, her eyes meeting his. "Good motto."

"Yeah."

They returned to camp in comfortable silence to find a patient Iroh trying to teach a bouncing Aang Pai Sho, while a depressed Sokka lay face-down next to a pile of wood with a chittering Momo tugging on his wolf-tail. They shared a sigh and a smile as Katara began to cut up the ingredients for the soup and Zuko lit the fire with a quick breath. "Aang, why don't you head for the stream and I'll join you once the soup's started?"

The Airbender noticed the dangling forms of the fish and turned slightly green, nodding quickly before scooting off, with Iroh rising to follow him. "I'll keep an eye on him," he said with a wink.

With Aang gone, the former prince got to work gutting and cleaning the fish, spitting a few next to flames to roast while setting the rest aside to be smoked. "I'll watch the soup while you work with Aang," Zuko murmured to the waterbender. "It should be close to done by the time you get back."

Katara flashed him a bright smile and gave the soup a final stir before standing up. "Thanks Zuko," she said, glancing at her sighing brother. "Sorry to leave you with Captain Mopey, though."

"I'm an Admiral in that Navy," he replied dryly, drawing another giggle from her before she left camp. Sokka sighed loudly. "Really, Sokka? Still?"

"Come on, man!" The Water Tribe warrior threw his arms up. "You had a girlfriend before, right? You can sympathize with me, Zuko!"

The former prince arched an eyebrow at him. "'Sympathize,' huh?" He muttered. "Big word."

Sokka frowned at him. "Hey now, just because I have simple needs doesn't make me a simple man!" Zuko stared at him, and his frown turned into a pout. "Yue likes hanging out at the library and reading together is nice."

"Mm," the firebender grunted, rotating the fish and stirring the soup. "And I've never had a girlfriend, Sokka; so no, I can't sympathize with you. It's just annoying."

The boomerang enthusiast sat up, an incredulous expression on his face. "…Really?" He asked slowly. "You, _Zuko_ , have never had a girlfriend before? _You_?"

Zuko gave him an extremely flat glare. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?" He growled, the fire flaring in response.

"Woah, man, no need to get sparky," Sokka held up his hands. "I'm just saying, some ladies find the whole 'damaged, brooding loner' look attractive, and you're not bad too look at, Zuko." He paused, flushed slightly and hurried to add. "That's what girls think, I mean. A lot of girls, actually. Jerk."

"I'm too busy for that sort of thing, Sokka," the former prince muttered, turning his attention back to the fire.

Now fully invested, the warrior scooted over to the pit. "Come on, Zuko, you've never been close to a lady before?" He needled, ripping up blades of grass and tossing them on the flames. "Personally, I find that hard to believe."

Zuko sighed deeply. "I _was_ close to a girl when I was younger," he admitted, the image of a shyly smiling girl flashing before his eyes. "But anything that could've happened between us ended when I was banished, and _definitely_ can't happen now that I'm a known traitor. I'm not looking forward to her letter next month…if it can even find me."

"Oh yeah," Sokka hummed. "That _would_ be a bit of a turn-off. But hey, maybe once this is all over, you can try again?"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," Zuko grunted, "And I don't want to hear you sigh every minute…do you know how to play Pai Sho?"

"No," the warrior replied, sitting up interest. "What's it about?"

"It's a game of wit and strategy," the firebender explained, pulling the blanket-board in between them and starting to sort the tiles.

"I _do_ have both of those," Sokka muttered, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Alright, how do we play?"

Zuko smiled slightly as he set the board up. "It's all about harmonies…"

…

When Aang, Iroh and Katara returned to the camp, the scent of hearty soup and cooking fish filled the air while Sokka and Zuko sat opposite of each other, staring thoughtfully at the board. The firebender hummed to himself and moved a tile, smirking victoriously as the Tribal gasped in disbelief. "I win. Again."

"Aggh!" Sokka grabbed his head frustratedly. "How?!"

"The Red Lotus and White Lotus are disharmonious," Zuko pointed out, tapping the offending pieces with a fingertip.

"But they're both flowers!" The warrior protested, growling as he reset the board. "One more time!"

Katara cleared her throat, making the two look up at her in surprise. "Having fun?" She teased, stepping over to the fire to check the soup.

" _I_ am," the former prince shrugged. "Sokka, not so much."

"I'll get this down soon, just you watch!" the Tribal growled, glaring at his tiles as if they'd offended him.

"I bet," the waterbender murmured, frowning as she found some resistance to her stirring. "Zuko, the bottom of the pot's scorched."

"Oh," Zuko blushed in embarrassment. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention." He moved over to help her fix the soup, leaving an open space for Uncle to slip in.

"It's better to test your strategies against multiple opponents, Sokka," the older firebender smiled. "Mind if I play against you?"

"Sure!" Sokka grinned, rubbing his hands together as Aang sat nearby, watching with interest. "I think I've got a better strategy this time!"

Zuko blew on a spoonful of soup and tasted it, smacking his lips. "A little more salt," he told Katara, before turning a knowing smirk on his uncle. "Watch out, Sokka. He cheats."

"Oh, Nephew!" Iroh cried dramatically, a hand on his heart. "You wound me with your false accusations!"

"Really? So I just imagined your Jade Camilla tile moving two spaces when we played last week?" The former prince replied sarcastically. "Even though you didn't touch it?"

Uncle paused in thought. "Yes."

Katara shook her head in amusement, ladling up bowls of hot soup. "Dinner's ready," she said, passing dishes out to everyone as Zuko handed the roasted fish to those who wanted it, before adjusting the low-burning logs and setting the remaining fish to smoke. They settled in to eat, watching as Sokka and Iroh battled it out with tiles and harmonies, Aang alternatively cheering and booing on a whim.

Zuko smiled, the memories of dining with his crew and the occasional music night merging with the comfortable atmosphere of the present before a frown made its way across his face. He hoped Lieutenant Jee and the others hadn't been at the North Pole when the invasion went down.

"Zuko?" He glanced up at the soft utterance of his name, finding Katara peering at him with concern in her eyes. "You alright?"

"Yeah," he muttered, stirring his soup. "Just thinking."

"About what?" She asked, setting her empty bowl aside to focus on him.

Zuko sat up, looking seriously at the others. "Actually, this is something I need to tell all of you," he said aloud, garnering their attention. "Earlier today, I sensed something. One of you…one of you can use the Force."

Sokka pointed his spoon at Iroh, who was making Momo chase a chunk of carrot around with telekinesis. "Yeah, him," he garbled around a mouthful of soup. "We know that already."

"No," Zuko stated firmly, before faltering. "I mean, yes _he_ can, but I'm not talking about _us_."

The fire crackled loudly as he looked at them over the flames, light dancing across his serious visage. "Katara," he pointed at her, then Aang and her brother, "Sokka and Aang. One of you can use the Force."

…

Azula paced across the metal deck of her ship, her brows furrowed in thought as the dying light of the sun grasped at the clouds. "The Avatar has a Sky-bison," she muttered to herself, her heels clicking as she walked. "That means he can move quickly, quicker than my ship. And he's no longer at the North Pole, which means he's mastered Waterbending, or is so close it makes no difference, so he'll be searching for an Earthbending teacher."

Two elderly women watched the Fire Nation Princess pace, watching her through squinted eyes and offering no advice.

"So, I must move quickly over land, but with Iroh and Zuko traveling with them, they'll be more prepared to face Firebenders," Azula said, pausing as a thought occurred. With a cunning smirk, she turned on her heel to face an armored Firebender standing at attention and sweating, resisting the urge to flinch as her gaze came to rest on him. "Captain! Prepare the tank! We're heading out!"

"Yes, Princess! We'll begin pursuing the Avatar immediately!" He saluted and made to move off, freezing in place as Azula held out a hand. "P-princess?"

"The Avatar can wait," she said simply, her eyes glinting dangerously. "I need Mai and Ty Lee."

…

…

…

…

 **A/N: And wouldya lookit that, another chapter for the new story coming a little more than a week later. GEE, THAT'S NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE.**

 **I do have more ideas for the next few chapters, but I'm going to work on something else, maybe Console or Not A Hero, Not For Hire, let this one steep a bit before I come back.**

 **Let's talk about characters, and Zuko in particular: with the divergence in his backstory and I'm not just talking about Solace, he's much more at peace with himself, his abilities and his place in the world. Basically, late-Book 3 Zuko in Book 1, or 2 now, I guess. Iroh, the Gaang and the like really haven't had much of chance to show their changes yet, not like Iroh needs any changes. He's perfect just the way he is.**

 **Azula, though…let's just say she might surprise you. If you want a hint about her characterization, take a look at my latest chapter of Console. That's all I'll say about that, I'll let the story do the showing when the next chapter comes.**

 **Also, timeline: I fucked with it. I mean, usually I do so in my stories, but I got reason here. So, at the end of Book 1, the Gaang leaves the North Pole, but in Book 2, they're traveling with Pakku, then they set out for the Earth Kingdom base. Meanwhile, Uncle and Zuko are at some kind of resort, and Uncle mentions they survived for three weeks on a raft or something.**

 **To make it less confusing, here's what happened here: The Invasion happened, two days later the Gaang and Yue visit Iroh and Zuko in prison and get the story. Then, three days after that, they set off after getting gifts from Pakku, Arnook and Yue. And it'll take them a week to get to the base, which is where 'The Avatar State' episode takes place.**

 **Which means there's plenty of time for more character interactions! Yay!**

 **Big thanks to AJR3333, NorthSouthGorem, Dareigh and Kurogane7 for editing, being sounding boards and all that. Give 'em all a look and a shout out from me~!**

 **Stay Awesome.**

 **~Soleneus**

 **P.S.: You're probably thinking I'm gonna do another thing like I did in the first chap, but I'm not. Instead, I'm going to talk about Zutara. I like it and not because of some stupid Fire/Water 'opposites attract' BS.**

 **I like it 'cause, at their cores, Katara and Zuko are a lot alike. They're both passionate, driven people who care deeply about the people around them, sometimes to their detriment. 'Never give up without a fight' could be ingrained in their very souls, really.**

 **And that's why I like them.**

 **That's it.**

 **I'm done now.**

 **Stay Awesome Some More.**

 **~still Soleneus**

 **I'm serious, I'm done.**

 **That A/N was like, a page.**

 **Why are you still here?**

 **Show's over, go home.**

…

… **Ty Lee's adorable.**


End file.
